Homestead
by Queen
Summary: Suu is a single mom with a farm to run. When she meets a peculiar man with no apparent past, she finds herself in a more complicated situation than she anticipated. A Cut/Suu origins story.
1. In Which a Farmer Meets a Poor Liar

_Homestead_

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Chapter 1. In Which a Farmer Meets a Poor Liar

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The wind was brisk, and as she drove forward into it, her pair of pink lekku streamed out behind her.

Suu smiled into the wind. It was a small, satisfied smile, despite the difficulties she had to begin resolving during this trip to town; the fall harvest had been good. Her speeder truck, with grain in crates attached to it, had decided to behave itself that morning and had started up on the first try, albeit with several cranky groans of protest. She tried to take it as a good sign.

It was midday, and not quite sunny. Saleucami was a dim world, with long dawns, pale mornings, dusky afternoons and dark evenings. Noon was one of the few times of the day it became what she thought of as bright; the sun was peering through the clouds, and the town ahead was visible more by the ramshackle buildings drawing into view than by the light they emitted, reflecting coolly off of low hanging clouds.

The engine sent a groan of protest through the frame of the speeder, and Suu gave it a slightly worried pet on the dashboard, as though it were a finicky eopie. "Hang in there a little longer, old girl," she told it, sighing as the shudder ended and the town began to open up before her.

She'd made the trips many times now, down the years. More frequently as of late; it wasn't that she didn't trust Arybas – she let him watch her children after all – but he was spending more and more time away with his soon-to-be wife, and it left her frantically trying to run things with less and less assistance on the farm. Suu was shorthanded to begin with. With Arybas leaving to live with Ossa, she was in a lurch.

The speeder sputtered forward, Suu steering it along largely empty industrial roads towards the looming warehouses beyond the market district. The war had changed things. Fewer people went out, even by daylight. This part of the planet had, so far, escaped much attention by the Techno Union, being so out of the way and small. With a droid army, they did not need to draw on as many sources of food as the Republic would. Droids had no stomachs to feed. The farmers were left mostly in peace, conducting business much as they had since the Union's takeover. However, the threat of things changing hung close in the air. People moved briskly, and few paid her much attention as she hauled her freight into town. There was a time when her large truck and barrels of grain would have brought out children to chase it. She'd been one when she was young, before the Techo Union came, with their orders and their profit margins and their demands. Now parents ushered children inside and kept wary eyes, watching her as she went directly to her destination.

A flock of nuna scattered, squawking wildly as she drove through them and past the gates of the yard. Here things were busy, and the quiet of the outside was interrupted by the steady din of workers calling to each other in different languages, of repulsorlifts humming as they were steered towards massive speeder trucks ready to haul cargo towards the spaceport or towards processing factories. It smelled of dirt, of vegetables and of fuel.

A young Gran was waving her into place alongside the warehouse's broad open doors, chattering into his comm while she parked. He gave her a brief wave of greeting, then headed inside. Suu slipped the truck into park, leaned back against the worn padding of her seat, sighed, then absently patted the gearshift in thanks. "One more trip down. Maybe next year, you can retire, eh?"

The door creaked open, and she leapt down and out, turning around to lean back inside for her blaster rifle.

There was a piercing whistle. She froze, turned around abruptly to search for the source of the noise, found it, then frowned. Two raggedy men, a human and a Wroonian, were standing not too far away, laughing, their focus clearly on her. She felt her face darken with a mixture of embarrassment and anger. A fresh peal of laughter from the two men, accompanied by an inappropriate gesture, showed their lack of caring for her annoyance. Her lekku curled in disgust.

Casually, she reached back into the old truck and pulled out her rifle, propping it against her shoulder with the ease of one well practiced in its use. She tilted her head, lifted a brow, and shot them a fresher glare. When they stared back, she let her hand slip down toward the trigger as she made a show of checking on the rifle's power cell. Fully charged. The surprised faces switched quickly to scowls, and they sullenly trudged away, the pretty Twi'lek female suddenly looking much less amusing and a lot more trigger happy.

There were always idiot drifters. The townies knew better than to cross her. She'd been young when the Techno Union came, but she'd fought. Fought and lost, like everyone else. She slammed the truck door shut in irritation. She could only afford a drifter or an overgrown kid starting out. But she wasn't letting some sleemo around Shaeeah and Jekk.

"Suu, my sweetheart!" came a rolling voice, and she turned towards the warehouse to see the warehouse manager waddling rapidly towards her, arms outstretched and face beaming. "How is my darling of bountiful harvests? The eopies I sold you doing well? Of course they are! I told you they were healthy! You'll be making me more money off them by next season!"

Suu rolled her eyes, but returned the smile, bending slightly, to give the old Wroonian a half hug and a peck on his grizzled blue cheek. "I'm well enough, Chios. Final harvest for you this season, and I need a recommendation, so I can keep bringing you these bountiful harvests you like so much."

"Ah, yes, Ossa was in town last week with her sister and Arybas. Wedding's coming up," he grinned, winked and made a wave at his belly, "What with her condition and all." He reached out with one arm, began to guide Suu away from the truck with gentlemanly, if excessive, gallantry. He made an abrupt gesture at a male Twi'lek, then towards Suu's crates of grain, and the man quickly began calling for help unloading. "Arybas feels bad," Chios told her. "He can't leave Ossa now, you know how Grans are. Family, family. When I heard, I said to myself, 'Chios, that lovely Suu is going to need your help again.' So! Here you are. I find you Arybas, now I find you someone new! And you keep bringing me good harvests, and then we all make good money, and the Union doesn't bother any of us."

"I can't afford to pay much," Suu said, glad Chios was taking a moment to breathe. The old man was one of the few oldtimers allowed to keep his produce distribution business going when the Union moved in; locals all went through Chios. For all his bluster, he was fair, and did what he could to keep the Union out of local interests.

"Same arrangement as Arybas, I imagine." He hesitated, and his effusive smile and gestures quieted. He asked her, rather paternally, "You never rebuilt the shed?"

Suu flinched, but her voice stayed even. "No."

The old man kept walking forward. Two steps, then, he carefully began again, "There's a couple good people. Man okay with you?" he asked, frowning.

"Man? Human? Not Gran?"

"Human," Chios confirmed. He held up his hands as Suu began to open her mouth to protest. "I know, I know. Too much like Wroonian, too much like Twi'lek, they get the dirty brains and wandering hands with a pretty pink Twi'lek girl. But, I won't give you bad people, you know this, yes? I know the problems. Nobody's going to be putting hands on my best harvester. You don't like him, you send him back to me so I can shoot him. You really don't like him, then you shoot him. Then I find you another. And you still bring me big harvests and take care of my eopies."

Suu almost laughed. She knew, though, Chios was quite serious, and it gave her pause.

"I think you'll like this one, though. He's funny." Chios tapped the side of his head, and Suu lifted her brows. "In the head. Not stupid. Just funny in the head."

She frowned. "Chios, I'm not taking in anyone too weird. Not with Shaeeah and Jekk."

"Eh, not hurtful weird. You'll know what I mean when you meet him. He's a very bad liar. Bad liars are bad because they have no practice. So he's honest! Works like a pack eopie too, so if you don't want him, I might sign him on for a season. But, I think of you first."

Suu pressed a palm to her forehead. "And profits. Chios, you'd better not be getting me into any trouble."

"What trouble?" He asked, with the very fake kind of innocence that was clearly a joke. Then he turned to the side and roared, "_Lawquane_!"

Suu blinked, then looked down at him as a human man set down a large box and began to jog toward them. "Lawquane?" she repeated, disbelieving. "Like the cantina downtown?"

Chios laughed. "I told you! Bad liar! Worst I've seen, and I've seen a lot! Other boys are calling him the cantina man and keep asking if he's related to Nisus."

Suu wanted to smack her forehead. A fake name. Wonderful. Drifters were always so unreliable. Arybas at least had been from Saleucami, just starting out on his own. She shot Chios a look. "Are you sure about this?"

"Well, like I said. Don't like him, shoot him."

"Sir!" came a sharp voice, and the man named Lawquane pulled up to a stop in front of them, back straight, though the tension in his shoulders betrayed a sense of nervousness. His face was clearly curious, eyes flicking between the manager and the new arrival. He cleared his throat and made a visible attempt to relax. "Yes sir?"

Suu tapped a finger against the side of her rifle. The man's brown eyes flicked to her hand, then along the length of the rifle. There was no surprise there, but rather a blink of recognition as he took in its length and design. This was a man who knew weapons. Her lips twitched into a small frown, then a small smile as his gaze shot quickly back to her face. No lingering elsewhere. He shifted from foot to foot. "Your name is Lawquane?" she asked.

He colored. "Yes ma'am." Aware he'd made an error, she realized. It was all right there on his face. He was, as Chios said, a very poor liar. "It's Cut, actually. My first name is Cut."

"No relation to Nisus?" This was of course apparent. Nisus was Wroonian.

Cut looked increasingly embarrassed. "No ma'am."

"Good. He waters his ale. I don't eat there."

A look of confusion, which faded to relief, then back to confusion. Suu chuckled. Funny in the head indeed. And 'ma'am'? No one called her ma'am. It was more politeness than you'd get from anyone on Saleucami. Where in the galaxy was this man from? She asked him.

He shifted his weight again, and his brows began to pucker. "Not really from anywhere, ma'am. I had to travel a lot."

"Not really anywhere," she repeated. Had to travel a lot. Half truth. Everyone was from somewhere. Drifter. She looked him over, quickly. His clothes were threadbare, and seemed to fit poorly, worn out pants too long in the leg and shirt too short across the chest, sleeves not reaching his wrists. He'd bought them very cheaply, or someone gave them to him. He didn't know how to hem the pants, or at least didn't have access to needle and thread. His hair had been close cropped at some recent time, but was growing out unevenly. His head looked like a bit of dark brown shrubbery, and his face was little better. "Why come to Saleucami?"

"I'm looking for work." Truth. But now he was growing curious. "If you don't mind my asking, ma'am, what's this about?"

"A job," Chios told him. "Regular one. Not daily wages like now."

Cut looked startled, then looked at Suu with hope beginning to light his face. "Really?"

Suu sighed, then looked at Chios, who smiled broadly. She found herself frowning again. True, he was a poor liar, and true, Chios seemed to like him enough. "I can't afford to pay much. Room and board, your space in the barn, I don't have a spare room in the house. Some credits, but not much. Depends on what Chios here offers me for this harvest. But it's steady," she glanced around, then towards a knot of men on the far side of the yard sitting, watching the workers eagerly in hopes of an afternoon's wages. "And the food will be better than what you get around here."

"Hey!" Chios interjected, looking mildly affronted.

"I'd be happy to sign on, ma'am." Cut said, looking like someone had just given him an unexpected present. She supposed, in a way, she had. She felt her lekku twitch. She'd taken on Arybas with as much introduction and he'd worked well. Her finger tapped against the barrel of the rifle, slightly nervous.

"A week trial," she said abruptly. Some of the smile faded as he looked at her. He seemed honest enough, and Chios didn't hire on slackers. Still, the fact he'd taken on a false name irked her. Something felt off. He was hiding something, and doing an extremely poor job of disguising the fact. "If you work out, I'll keep you on for through the next season. I have two children. It's just us on the farm. They help with chores, but I'll need help with heavier work. Have you ever worked on a farm before?"

"No ma'am," he said, but quickly added in a rush, "But I learn fast, and I'll work hard. I'll do my best. I promise."

It was somewhat unsettling, the eagerness on his face. He looked almost like Jekk when he presented her with a particularly colorful new drawing. All hope and a little afraid she wouldn't be happy enough with it to accept it and pin it on their conservator.

It softened her a little, even as it worried her. "All right. A week's trial. You learn as fast as you say, work as hard as you say, I'll take you on through next season. Agreed?"

His face lit. It was hard not to smile in return, as she stretched out her hand. He looked startled for a moment, looking at her outstretched palm for an instant's worth of surprise, then quickly grasped it with his own, giving it a firm shake.

Chios brought his hands together in a sharp clap. "Good, good! Lawquane, you can collect a half day's wages, get your things, and I'll talk trade with Suu. We've got several bushels of grain to weigh and count out, yes?"

"Suu," Cut echoed, looking at her. He was still smiling. "Thanks."

"You'll not be quite so happy after you've been mucking out eopie stalls," she told him, amused. His smile faltered a little bit, but he shrugged sheepishly and regained it. Suu allowed herself a laugh. He _was_ a funny man, and she couldn't quite shake her feeling of concern, but it was hard to dislike someone who smiled so easily.

Chios was turning aside, to head back to his office in the warehouse. Suu turned to follow him.

Cut Lawquane. A poor liar and funny man.

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Hello all! Surprise! I don't own _Star Wars_. Darn.

Clearly, this is a Cut/Suu story. Since Cut and Suu do not live on a deserted island, there are a few OC's included in the story in supporting roles. Chios is one of them. All roles are quite minor.

As for the name 'Lawquane' being taken off a cantina, I figured Cut got that name in one of two ways: 1) a very dramatic, 'It was the name of a very important person to him' type story, or 2) He desperately needed to fit in to his new setting, and was frantically trying to sound normal. And picked badly. I opted for option #2, since I had no idea how possibility #1 would be explained properly in this fanfic. That, and it's just kind of amusing. Honestly, though? I figure someone writing the show just thought it sounded good. And thus Cut was dubbed Lawquane.

I hope you all enjoy the story.

Til next time,

~Queen


	2. Where Introductions Are Made

_Homestead_

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Chapter 2. Where Introductions Are Made

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They did not return immediately to the farm.

The farm produced food, but it did not grind wheat to flour, nor did it grow sugar or sprout soap and fresh power cells from trees. Suu watched Cut carefully as he tagged along on her errands, only stepping up to buy a razor and a can of shaving cream for himself with a bit of the money he'd received for his day's work. He had rejoined her with a small, worn out duffel bag on his shoulder; Suu was convinced he was buying everything he had from the town's secondhand store. Nobody bought clothes that fit so poorly new.

He spoke little and watched everything. It was peculiar. Suu could find no reason to fault this, but it struck her as odd that a grown man would behave as though he was unaccustomed to counting out credits. The politeness continued. Women were 'ma'am'. Men were 'sir'. Suu could only imagine he came from a very strict sort of family, to raise him to be so proper. Funny in the head, but not hurtful. She hoped Chios' assessment would continue to prove accurate.

They reached the homestead shortly after sundown, the western sky still streaked heavily with bright brushes of red-orange. She gave him a narrow look as her speeder truck rumbled down the path home, the fields of grain empty now that the harvest was in. Cut's head was turning back and forth, from the front to the side to the front again, taking it all in with curious eyes. She returned her attention to the road, seeing the stubble covered fields. They'd leave the remaining stalks as they were, to decay and fertilize for next season. She was thinking corn in these fields next, rotating the wheat into the southern quarter.

As she parked the speeder truck beside a second one, she climbed out as the door to the house burst open. A small streak of peach and pale blue shot out, lekku streaming behind her. "Mom you're home!" Shaeeah shouted, as two larger forms followed her at a more sedate pace.

"Yes, I'm home, you thought maybe I wasn't coming back?" Suu smiled as her daughter skidded to a halt in front of her, then began to peer around her legs to get a better look at the parked truck and the man coming out of it.

"Welcome back," Arybas said by way of greeting, Ossa stepping up beside him. "Ossa came by this afternoon to help out, if that's alright."

"Of course. How are you doing, Ossa?" Suu smiled, allowing herself a quick glance towards Ossa's midsection, which was just beginning to show signs of swelling.

The female Gran chuckled, resting a hand on her belly. "All right, excepting the nausea. It's not too bad, but oh does it keep me up nights now! I'll be glad when it's over and I've got a baby instead of a giant stomach. I feel like I'm waddling."

"Give it a couple more months and then you'll really feel like you're waddling," Suu laughed in return. "Where is Jekk?" she asked, quickly grabbing the back of Shaeeah's collar to keep her from launching herself at Cut in a fit of curiosity.

"Aw, Mom," Shaeeah groaned, twisting a little to get away. Suu ignored this as Arybas replied.

"He refused to take a nap this afternoon and dropped off right after dinner." He turned from Suu to Cut, who was standing slightly outside the circle, clearly a little awkward at being an outsider. The three eyes of the male Gran gave the newcomer a careful look. "You'll be taking my place here, then. I'm Arybas."

"Er, yes. I'm Cut," he said, edging forward a little.

"You're human," Shaeeah announced, head tilted back to look up at the man's face.

"And you're Twi'lek," he replied, looking down at her. Shaeeah blinked once, then her face split into a grin.

"He's funny, Mom!" she decided, twisting around to see if her mother approved. Suu sighed.

"I'm glad you approve, Shaeeah. Have you finished your homework?"

"Yes," she said, somewhat glumly. "Arybas and Ossa helped me."

"Good. Why don't you go get ready for bed?"

"But I want to see!"

"See what? Cut? He's right here, you just met him. And he'll be here in the morning. You can wait until then to talk more. Go get on your pajamas. And don't wake up your brother if he's sleeping."

"Okay," Shaeeah agreed, a little reluctantly, dragging a little bit as she headed back into the house, casting long, sad looks back on the group of adults, as though perhaps they would change their minds if she just walked slowly enough. She paused reluctantly in the doorway, and when Suu folded her arms and lifted a brow, she sighed heavily and trudged the rest of the way inside.

"She's a good girl," Ossa said, laughing lightly.

Suu smiled. "She is. How she keeps so much energy, I don't know. You two must be tired."

Ossa placed a hand on Arybas's shoulder. "Perhaps we should be getting home. My family will start to wonder."

Arybas nodded, but kept an eye on Cut for a moment. "Are you sure you've got everything here alright, Suu?" he asked.

The two Grans did not appear alarmed, but they were watching Cut with a mixture of curiosity, wariness, and welcome. She appreciated their solicitousness. It was kind of them to worry for her and her family. "I think it will be alright," she assured, gesturing to Cut, and tried to give him a somewhat more formal introduction now that Shaeeah was not there to interrupt. "Cut, this is Arybas and his fiancée Ossa. They're neighbors, and live a few kilometers from here. They're old friends, and Ossa's mother makes some of the sweetest spice wine on Saleucami."

Cut straightened, extending a hand. "I'm Cut. Um, Lawquane. Just Cut is alright. It's good to meet you."

Arybas shot Suu a funny look as the name Lawquane came out, but he said nothing, grasping Cut's hand in greeting. The gesture was repeated a moment later with Ossa. Arybas did not move. Ossa sighed and her eyestalks wavered slightly in what would have been something like an eyeroll on a more human face. "Come on, love, let Suu get her new hand settled." She gave him a small, light shove towards the second speeder parked in front of Suu's house.

"If you need anything, Suu, give us a call," Arybas said as Ossa began to steer him away.

"Thanks, I will. Good night, Arybas. Ossa."

There were waves of farewell, the sound of their speeder truck roaring to life, and then Cut and Suu were left standing alone outside of the house.

"Come on," Suu said, quickly reaching into the back of the speeder and grabbing her rifle before turning towards the barn. "I'll show you your room." Cut resettled his duffel over his shoulder and followed. "As I said, it's not much. You are welcome to come into the house to use the refresher whenever you need it, except after I shut out all the lights for the night and lock the doors." She propped her rifle against the outside wall of the barn and unlocked it, then rolled the door open. "Barn door locks from either the outside or the inside. I recommend locking it after you go to sleep at night."

Stepping inside, she reached up and clicked on an electric lantern hanging just beside the door. Fluorescent white light cast the room into stark relief. A small main area in the center, with a pair of workbenches, the floor covered in a scattering of hay. It was full of the crisp smell of dried grass; Arybas must have cleaned out the eopie stalls earlier in the day. The stalls stood against the back wall, sleepy eopies dozing within. With one exception. Suu moved forward and placed her hand on the creature's snout. Its response was to lift its head and eagerly lick Suu's face in greeting. She turned to the side to avoid getting covered in eopie drool, though the persistent animal just began to nudge her playfully. "Just watch this one, she's figured out how to lift the latch on her door. She's harmless though, aren't you Oleary?" She scratched the top of her head and led her back into the one empty stall, latching it again once the eopie was settled.

Cut was standing in the center of the room, looking around and taking it in. Suu stepped to the side. One corner of the barn had been converted from a pair of stalls into one room. She pushed a grayish curtain back, and flipped on a second lantern, this one casting a somewhat softer, butter yellow color into the space. A cot with a pillow and thick, folded quilt lay against one wall. There was a small desk and chair against the other, and a narrow dresser with a bowl and pitcher atop it against the back. A rod was balanced between two rafters above, with a pair of hangers dangling from it. "Arybas cleaned it out last week, so the chest should be empty."

It was not fancy. Suu knew this. But she liked to think it was comfortable enough. The cot was padded, the quilt warm, the pillow soft. It was quiet, and though it was not large, it was not too small either. "We have a small heater that you can keep in here, and more blankets," she added, a little worried at the strange expression on Cut's face. "I know it is not much. You are of course free to change your mind if you want. I can take you back to town tomorrow."

The words seemed to startle him. "What? No. No, this is…" he trailed off, unreadable until he began to smile, looking at the handmade quilt sitting on the cot. "This is great, Suu. Thank you." He stepped into the room slowly, edging past her, to set the duffel on the cot. He lightly ran a hand over the top of the chest. When he turned to look at her, his expression was warm, and a little amazed. "Maybe this sounds weird, but I never had my own room before. Even if doesn't have indoor plumbing," he added with a grin.

It was hard not to return the warmth. She leaned against the wall, arms folded and feeling slightly relieved that she didn't have to go through the process of asking Arybas and Ossa to babysit again, to take another day to drive into town. Also relief for the thought that perhaps Cut would work out. "You have many siblings then?" she asked, amused.

Cut blinked at her owlishly for a moment, then guffawed. "Yeah. I've got a regular army of brothers." She chuckled at his joke, but the laughter died when Cut's expression grew serious. "Suu, I know you said you've got two kids, and it's just you on the farm. I just wanted you to know this, so you're not alarmed."

He moved to the duffel, and opened an outer pouch on it, first pulling out a small power pack and cartridge, showing it to her. Then, more carefully from the main section of the duffel, a blaster carbine. Drawing it left the duffel nearly empty. She went rigid, arms dropping to her sides, and automatically calculating how many steps it was to her blaster rifle outside the door, and if she could reach it before he could reach her. She shook herself for overreacting. It was unloaded, he was deliberately showing her, for her peace of mind. She wrestled down the shot of fear. Slowly, he set the power pack and tibanna cartridge down, and offered the remaining portion of the blaster to her. Her eyes flicked over it. Military grade, used. There were any number of places he could have gotten such a thing, especially with a war on. As a drifter, he could have worked doing almost anything before coming to Saleucami. It was a serious weapon.

She looked at him. He seemed nervous, but steady, waiting for her.

"You are showing me this so I know you are armed." He nodded. She breathed in slowly, deliberately, then nodded. "Thank you for telling me. I'm glad you are so honest. It's probably for the best." She glanced at the weapon again, shuddered, then looked away momentarily. Cut stood still, watchful. It was a gesture of good faith, his showing it to her. If he wished her or her children ill, he could very well use it to enter the house and take whatever he wanted. "Give me the cartridge and power pack," she said, stretching out a hand.

Cautiously, so that she could see his movements, he stepped forward, reached out a hand, and dropped the two boxes into her palm. Her fingers closed around them. "There is little law left on Saleucami, since the Trade Union came. If you remain with us, I will give them back." She wrapped her arms around herself, protectively. "Tibanna is flammable. The barn and my home are framed with wood." She struggled to keep her voice steady. "Things catch fire easily. You will not show it to my children."

Slowly, he pulled back. The blaster was set down on the cot. He did each motion with deliberation, so she knew his intentions. "I'll keep it in the barn, unloaded."

"Shaeeah and Jekk will not touch your things. They know not to touch my blaster, and I'll be sure to remind them."

"Is it really so dangerous out here?" he asked, face serious.

Suu kept her gaze downward. "It can be," she replied after a moment. "There are still a few predators. Of different kinds."

Sentients as well as animals, she wanted to say, but the words did not come. Her mouth was dry.

"I understand," Cut said, and when she managed to face him again, the hard look he wore indicated he did.

_This is a fighting man_, she thought then. A man who knew weapons and carried a dangerous one. She felt strange, constantly returning her attention to him for appraisal, but she was a lone woman with two children and her nearest neighbors were several kilometers away. She could not leave room for mistakes or afford to expend trust without reason. Cut was waiting. Watching her in the careful way she was beginning to see was his. He had the look of some of the old soldiers who had run the militia, but in too young a face. He couldn't be more than a few years younger than herself, though she was less accustomed to judging the ages of humans by their faces. He had no grey in his beard or hair yet. She knew that meant youth.

She could not make a judgment. He was too confusing. Honest, polite, a little strange, thoughtful, well armed. But everything he did was an attempt to earn her acceptance. She would lock her doors firmly and sleep lightly tonight, but she would keep him for now. A week's trial, she said. Some part of her had decided she wanted him to stay.

"I have breakfast on the table at seven. Mornings begin early on the farm. I will let you get comfortable. If you're hungry, I can bring you some fruit."

"I'm alright. I really appreciate this, Suu."

She gave him a careful look. He'd straightened, and some of the intensity had faded. She relaxed slightly and shifted back towards the barn door. "I'll see you in the morning, then."

"Good night."

She picked up her blaster and slid the barn door closed behind her.


	3. Nuna Eggs and Biscuits

_Homestead_

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Chapter 3. Nuna Eggs and Biscuits

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Nuna eggs hit the frying pan with a hiss and sizzle.

Suu quickly whipped them in the pan, adding a dash of salt and pepper and a quick splash of blue milk to soften them. A timer began to beep, and she turned it off as she swept up a hot pad and opened the door to the oven, pulling out a tray of hot biscuits. She shut it with a hip, quickly raising the hot pan overhead as Shaeeah trundled past carrying a stepstool, Jekk dogging her footsteps. She placed the pan on top of another hot pad, then stirred the eggs again before they began to stick to the frying pan.

Shaeeah had clambered up to the top of the stool, and was handing Jekk their small-sized, brightly colored plastic plates. The boy, once he had them in hand, quickly ran them back to the table as Shaeeah opened a drawer and began to rummage for their child-size silverware. "Your cups are in the sink, Shaeeah," Suu told her as the girl pulled out two small forks.

"Okay!" she said, walking over to the table and placing the forks beside the plastic plates.

There was a knock at the door. Suu switched off the heat under the pan as Shaeeah's head snapped to attention. But her brother was closer, and as the two children rushed to the door, he reached it first. "I got it, I got it!" he shouted, hand clamping down over the handle, then flinging the door open as Shaeeah hovered just behind him.

Cut stood framed in the doorway. He looked down at the two younglings.

"Hi!" said Shaeeah brightly.

Jekk stared upward, openmouthed, then screamed. He ran for Suu and clutched at her leg.

Cut stared, confused, and perhaps a little hurt.

Shaeeah giggled and explained. "He's scared because he hasn't met a human before!"

"Am not!" Jekk declared, then as Cut turned his attention back to him, he flinched back behind Suu.

"Come in, Cut. Breakfast will be ready in a moment. Shaeeah, would you get plates for Cut and I?"

Shaeeah spun and raced back to the stepstool, and Suu bent down slightly to pat Jekk on top of the head. "It's okay, Jekk. This is Cut. He's going to be helping us on the farm now that Arybas has moved away. I told you we were going to be getting a new helper, remember?"

The boy nodded, but was reluctant to let go of his mother's leg. Cut stood there awkwardly, and Suu gave him a quick, encouraging nod towards her son. Cut cleared his throat and squatted down a little. "You haven't met a human before?"

His answer was a suspicious look. Cut scratched the back of his head. "You know, I only met a Twi'lek when I first got to Saleucami. I'd seen others before, but never really met one. And you're the youngest one I've met."

The calm, slightly self-depreciating tone of Cut's words was soothing, and Suu could feel Jekk's hands beginning to lose their tight grip on her pant leg.

"I'm Cut," he continued. "I guess you're the man of the house, then?"

Jekk gave Cut a funny look, then looked up at Suu, who just smiled at him, encouragingly. Slowly, Jekk said, "I'm not a man, I'm a Twi'lek boy."

Cut laughed. "I guess you're right. Sorry about that." He extended his hand. Jekk looked at it skeptically.

"You're supposed to shake hands," Shaeeah told him authoritatively, marching past, her own hands full of plates.

"I know that," he shot back. He edged out a little, and extended his own hand shyly. Cut grasped it lightly and shook it once. Jekk pulled back a little once Cut released him, staying close to his mother and watching Cut warily. Suu resisted a laugh. It was a very long time ago for her, but she had a vague recollection of meeting a human man for the first time, one of her father's friends. He'd seemed like a hulking, impossibly colored pale thing, covered in wiry yellow fur and missing half his head without a pair of thick lekku hanging properly over his shoulders. It had made him look terrifying.

She stored Cut's information about not meeting Twi'lek's before arriving on Saleucami to mull over later. That seemed unlikely. She hadn't traveled much, but she was quite aware of the ubiquity of her species. Perhaps a white lie to make her son more comfortable? The awkwardness of the moment made it hard to tell if it were truth or not. It didn't seem to matter much.

"Is there anything I can do?" he asked, and she was brought back to the moment. Cut stood, and was looking around the kitchen. "I'm not much of a cook, but…" he trailed off, gesturing towards the stove.

"You can get glasses out for everyone," she told him, gesturing at the drying rack and then one of the cupboards. "The plastic ones are for Shaeeah and Jekk, they're in the sink. Shaeeah's is red, Jekk's is yellow. Adult glasses in the cabinet." She tried to move and almost stumbled over Jekk, who, though not clinging anymore, was still sticking close. "Jekk, why don't you sit down at the table?" He hesitated, and she gave him a stern look. He slunk carefully off, crawling up onto his seat and watching them very carefully from over the back.

"Cut, you can sit here," Shaeeah said, bouncing on her toes beside the char at the end of the table. "That's my seat, and that's Jekk's, and Mom sits there," she explained, pointing at each spot as Cut set the cups down onto the table. "Do you like nuna eggs and biscuits?"

"Ah, yes."

"We usually eat cereal, but we're having eggs today, I think it's because you're here."

Suu swept over to the table, hands full of a large bowl of eggs and another of still warm biscuits. She set them onto the center of the table. "Jekk, stop standing on your chair. Sit down properly. Cut, I didn't make caf this morning, is milk alright?"

"Yes, ma'am, that'd be great." Cut pulled out a chair slowly as Suu briskly moved from table to conservator and back again, with the thoughtless ease of much practice. She set a glass pitcher of blue milk down and pulled out a chair for herself. Shaeeah hopped onto her chair then lunged for the eggs as Jekk slunk down low, still watching Cut cautiously as he took his own seat.

Food was passed, and Suu stood to pour milk for her children. Shaeeah used both hands to drink from her cup, and once she set it back down, she looked at Cut. "Do you like farms?"

His mouth was full of food, cheeks puffed out. Suu smiled around her fork and kept her attention on her plate in an attempt not to laugh. Cut nodded as he swallowed. "I think so. I haven't worked on one before. So I'm going to have to learn a lot." He looked at Suu across the table, smiling hopefully. There was a bit of nerves there as well. She picked up a biscuit and broke it in half.

He was trying. It relieved her a little. That he wanted to stay here, and was still attempting to reassure her.

Shaeeah bounced in her chair. "Really? Do you want to help me and Jekk feed the nunas? We do that after breakfast." She pulled apart her biscuit and began to munch on it, crumbs falling onto her plate as much as her lap.

Cut looked between them. "If that's alright with your Mom."

Shaeeah's head swiveled to her, eyes wide and pleading. The nuna house was just behind the barn. She could keep an eye on them easily. And it was an easy enough place to start, even if Shaeeah was trying to wriggle out of doing all of her chores. "I don't see why not," Suu allowed. Shaeeah brightened. Jekk stirred his eggs with a fork.

"I'll show you the nuna house! Jekk and I got eggs yesterday, and Notch got free and ran all over the yard! But Arybas caught her and put her back in the pen."

"Oh?" Suu asked. "I didn't know that."

Shaeeah nodded and stuffed her mouth full of more eggs. "We chased her all over the place. She runs fast. I couldn't catch her and neither could Jekk." She giggled as she told the story.

Suu watched her daughter talk, then her son slowly begin to eat as Shaeeah's familiar, steady chatter distracted him from watching Cut. The man was sitting at the end of the table, eating with deliberation, as though he were trying to go more slowly than usual. Methodically, he ate the eggs first, listening to Shaeeah's telling of yesterday's events while Suu was away. Suu continued to smile; he was paying far more attention to her daughter's tales than most adults would. It was kind of him.

He still puzzled her. There was an indefinable quality to him, she decided. He seemed to want to stay on. She hoped in the coming days, she would learn more and her worries would abate. He seemed kind.

"…and we bought eopies last season, and I rode one! Do you know how to ride?" Shaeeah was continuing.

"Can't say that I do," Cut replied, looking somewhat amused. He looked up and caught Suu's eye.

"It can be a great deal of work," Suu said. "Living on a farm. Early mornings, busy days. Many things rely upon you." The sound of her glass being set against the table filled the quieter moment.

Cut straightened in his chair. "Like I said, I'll do my best ma'am."

Kind, and determined. "Ma'am is unnecessary. Call me Suu. And we'll begin after breakfast, with the nuna."

He looked between the children, then back to her. "I'll look forward to it."

* * *

A typical hectic morning at the homestead. There really was no good place to end this chapter. Sigh. And no point dragging it on. Cut needed to meet Jekk and get established in the home, though, so it's really a necessary chapter. It feels clunky to me, but I can't see a way around it. The pace should begin to pick up from here on out.

Also, since a couple of you have asked– the story is pretty well told from Suu's pov, not Cut's. Sorry! I hope it's still okay.

Since I seem to be getting a few un-logged in reviewers, I thought I'd say thank you to everyone who's commented so far! Kat (more to come soon!), Trina (yay for strong ladies!), Elk (wow, capslock love! Thank you!) and ABC (Updates are once a week, on Saturdays!). Also to those logged in: fangirlscreams, Pirate Ninjas of the Abyss, Anne Ominous, and Librarian Girl! Thank you all very much! I really appreciate your comments.

Til next chapter.

~Queen


	4. A Seven Day Decision

_Homestead_

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* * *

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Chapter 4. A Seven Day Decision

* * *

On the first day, Suu watched.

Cut stood with a bucket of feed in his hand. Shaeeah scooped a handful out and tossed it playfully in a wide arc, spinning around with her lekku flying out. The small flock of nuna they owned raced forward, giving throaty warbles as they frantically pecked at the grain. Cut reached into the bucket, and shook it out of his hands near his feet.

The nuna swarmed forward. Shaeeah laughed and tossed her hands in the air, clapping as the nuna rushed too close, bumping and jostling to get closer to the source of their breakfast. "What the…?" Cut said, stumbling and trying to back away as the creatures began to tangle their way between his feet. The nuna followed, their wattles stretched out as they warbled their hunger at him, surrounding his legs and hopping in agitation when Cut lifted the bucket up out of reach.

"You're supposed to throw it out," Shaeeah explained, now outside the huddle of nuna with Cut in the center, waving her arms in wide motions. "Like this! Or they'll try to eat you, too!"

Cut hastily grabbed another handful and flung it away from him. On cue, the nuna turned and chased after the new grain.

He stood clutching the bucket, looking after them in astonishment.

Apparently he had not only never worked on a farm, he was unused to animals. Suu covered her mouth to hide her laughter.

* * *

On the second day, he was mincing, his back bent, clearly in pain.

Suu stood in the doorway of the barn, trying to keep her nose from wrinkling at the smell of the eopie droppings collected in the wheelbarrow. It was starting to get ripe. Cut had a bale of hay beside him, a pitchfork in his hands. Slightly stooped in an attempt to alleviate some cramping in his lower back, his shirt was pulled taut against the bunched muscles of his shoulders. Suu lifted a brow. He was trying to carefully carry the hay in chunks by balancing it carefully on top of the forked end. When he slowly tried to sift it out into the nearest stall, half of the hay fluttered to the ground before reaching it. She heard him swear once, softly, then begin trying to pick it up with the pitchfork. It didn't quite work; he ended up pushing it in the general direction and making a trail.

"You're being too careful," she interrupted him, and he spun quickly, face reddening in embarrassment as he noticed her presence. Stepping forward, she held out a hand. He passed her the pitchfork to her and stepped aside as she took up a solid stance, light on the foot facing the hay, more heavily behind. "It's hay. You drop it, it doesn't explode. Don't be so delicate." She thrust out sharply, spearing the pile, then lifted smoothly, using strength from her legs and twisting with her hips, weight shifting as she turned, then gave another sharp jab. The hay flew straight into the stall, scattering as its speed slowed. "If it lands in a pile, you can spread it out after it lands. Not before. Or you get a mess," she explained, pointing with the pitchfork to the scattering of straws all over the ground.

She handed the tool back to him. He was wide eyed, still a little red, and then began to have trouble looking at her. He nodded wordlessly, and resumed his place between the hay and the stalls. He paused, placing his feet much as she did, dropping into a solid stance, and imitating her motions. A quick stab, draw it closer, then shift and turn, quickly sending the hay flying in a fast jab toward the stall. Some flew wild, but most landed where he aimed.

"Better," she told him.

He smiled at her, looking a little proud.

* * *

On the third day, Cut sat in the driver's seat, clutching the wheel as though the tractor was going to escape him. It had tried a few times.

Suu was standing, carefully balanced between the open door and the step leading into the driver's seat. Her grip tightened on the doorframe as they lurched forward, and an unpleasant grinding sound began to emanate from the gears. "It's not a fancy speeder, and you don't have any weight on the drawbar yet. It is old and slow and somewhat stupid. You have to compensate for that when you change gears. Be sure you're pushing the clutch all the way down. That's not all the way."

Cut grimaced and tried again, shoving the pedal all the way forward until it hit the floor.

"Change gears."

The stick shifted positions.

"Back off the clutch, slow. Use the gas, same time. Easy. Easy." They began to drift steadily forward.

The tractor shuddered, and they bounced along slowly, but this time, the engine didn't stall. Moments rolled forward, and still, they didn't stop.

They exchanged looks of triumph.

* * *

On the fourth day, they stood in the kitchen and baked bread.

Shaeeah and Jekk sat at the kitchen table, engrossed in their homework, or attempting to look so. Cut stood beside Suu. They stared down at the dough sitting on the flour coated counter.

Cut ran a hand over his now clean-shaven face. "Mine look wrong."

Suu's soon-to -be -baked loaves were fluffy, light, tall, and looked very much like unbaked bread. Cut's still only looked like uneven lumps of dough.

"That is because they are flat."

Cut scratched his head and tried not to look embarrassed when there were giggles from the children behind them.

"Did you forget yeast?" she asked him, holding up a small packet.

He blinked once. "Yeast," he repeated, covering his eyes with a hand.

Suu laughed.

* * *

On the fifth day, Suu stood in the doorway of the house holding a tray of muja juice.

Shaeeah was tossing her ball back and forth with Cut in the yard. Jekk stood off to the side slightly, hovering just outside of the game. Suu backed inside somewhat, to avoid interrupting. Shaeeah sent the ball flying straight towards Cut, who caught it easily.

The man paused before sending it back to her daughter. He looked at Jekk, smiled gently, and held up the ball. Jekk shuffled forward a little, haltingly. Cut lobbed the ball at him gently.

He caught it. The three of them stood still. Jekk stared at the brightly colored ball, then looked up questioningly at Cut, then to Shaeeah. She held out her hands.

Jekk threw the ball to her. She passed it to Cut, then Cut on to Jekk again.

Suu leaned against the doorframe and watched for a few minutes before she stepped out with refreshments and a smile.

* * *

On the sixth day, he helped her bring the eopies in from pasture.

It had long since passed dusk, and the way home was lit by the pair of moons hanging high in the sky, by the cool white light of the lantern in Suu's hand, and by the pleasant swarming of glowbugs around the fields. Shaeeah and Jekk were running back and forth, chasing the dancing points of light, catching them, then releasing the insects back into the air only to repeat the process, occasionally bringing the glowing little creatures to Suu or Cut for closer inspection.

It was a calm, peaceful evening, and the eopies wandered back towards the barn casually, pausing when they felt like uprooting a bit of dry grass from the ground to munch on. Cut and Suu trailed the children, guiding two of the eopies forward by the simple rope halters around their heads.

"So Saleucami doesn't have a winter?" Cut was saying.

"This is the closest thing we get to one," Suu continued to explain as they walked. "The northern half of the planet's hemisphere is slightly tilted from the sun, now. It makes it somewhat cooler. But it does not have a very strong influence on the growing seasons. Most heat is produced by the planet's geothermal venting. Seasons are very regular, and there is almost no break between them. It is why we will begin planting so soon after the last season ended. We get a few weeks to prepare, then start again."

"As a farmer, you must be busy all the time then. Constantly growing."

Suu chuckled and nodded. "Yes. But it keeps us well fed. And as long as we keep producing, the Union does not pay much attention to us, so far from the city."

"You want to stay out of the Techno Union's way?"

She gave him an even look, his face lit in gentle silver hues from the moonlight and lantern. He was always full of simple curiosity, the expression he wore something she had grown accustomed to as they days began to pass. He listened to her attentively. "The Techno Union is only a union of corporations. Corporations are businesses, and businesses want profit. They care little how they get it."

Her voice turned bitter, and her grip on the halter tightened. Oleary nudged Suu with her snout, then attempted to cheer her by licking her face. It was a welcome distraction, and Suu busied herself for a few moments in resettling the eopie as they walked.

When she turned back towards Cut, he seemed to be struggling with words, unsure if he should say anything or not. There was a question on his tongue. She turned her attention sharply to her children, playing just ahead of them. They walked forward several steps. No question came from Cut.

It was too soon, to ask personal questions. To ask why she sounded so bitter. She wished to ask him more about himself as well, but the newness of the relationship remained a barrier. There was a growing trust, but they were not quite friends. Not yet. She could wait to learn more, and so could he.

They continued to walk home in the evening's quiet.

* * *

On the seventh day, he found her while she was doing laundry.

She pulled out a large, vanilla white sheet and pinned it to the clothesline. A breeze stirred the hanging fabric, setting it to floating around her as she moved efficiently about her work. The sun was rising, and she needed to get the laundry out to catch as much sunlight as possible. Now it was still an in-between time, the sky gray and yellow and lavender. The sheets smelled like detergent, and she could breathe in the clean smell easily.

"Suu?"

She turned. Cut was standing awkwardly to the side, uncomfortable. He had a worried look.

"Yes?"

"It's been a week."

She busied herself with another sheet, pulling it open and feeling its dampness under her palms. She clipped it to the line, straightened it out so that it would catch the wind, and tried to fight away a small knot of disappointment in her gut. He wanted to leave?

"Did you want me to take you back to town?" she asked, evenly. Pale fabric flickered in the wind between them.

"Not really, no."

Suu picked up a pair of pillowcases from her basket, wadded up. She looked at them for a moment, allowing the concern to unwind. Rather relieved, she tossed him one. "Then you can help me with the laundry."

When she began to give him an amused smile, he brightened, and stepped up beside her.

And they worked side by side.


	5. Drawings and Dejarik

_Homestead_

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* * *

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Chapter 5. Drawings and Dejarik

* * *

It was raining steadily, thunder occasionally interrupting the quietly playing galactic radio.

The music was light, upbeat and cheerful in contrast to the dreariness outside the homestead's door. Suu sat in one corner, a sewing basket on the floor beside her. She had taken Cut in to town yesterday, leaving the children with Arybas and Ossa at their home, and he had bought a couple new shirts and pants at the resale store. They needed altering to fit him correctly; his original pants were still too long in the leg.

When she'd brought out her sewing kit, he'd tried to take over for her, arguing it was for him to fix. It hadn't taken long for it to become apparent he had no idea what he was doing with a needle and thread. It took him several minutes of trying to push the needle over the thread before Suu quietly suggested he try holding the needle still and moving the thread through it, instead of the other way around. He also didn't think to knot the end of the thread, and ended up constantly pulling it through the fabric of the canvas pants whenever he attempted a stitch. When he'd pricked his fingers for the fifth time, she took the sewing from him and gently said, "_If you want to learn, I can start you with something simpler. Let me do this for now. Before your fingers bleed you to death. Go wash your hands with cold water and soap_."

He'd obeyed, reddening, and thanked her profusely as she took the clothing from his hands. It was a calm scene now, with Suu perched near the oven on a stool, foot tapping to the cheery rhythm of swing jazz in the air. Shaeeah and Jekk were sitting with Cut at the table, a box of crayons scattered between them. Cut had somehow been drafted into the art project, and was carefully coloring a sheet of flimsi beside the children.

Suu smiled at the sight, blue eyes soft as Jekk stuck his tongue out between his lips in concentration. He stopped, held up his picture to the light, giving it a great deal of thought. Then, with renewed energy, picked up an orange crayon and drew with flourish.

The song ended and the hour was announced by a smooth talking announcer. The news began. She put a final stitch in the blind seam of the pant leg and bit the thread off, knotting it neatly. She shook out the pants, then folded them. "Shaeeah, Jekk, finish your drawings. It's time for bed."

There was the usual chorus of groans and protests, which she silenced with the usual look of sternness. The children began to clean up the crayons, Cut scooping up the ones scattered around his seat and adding them to the box.

"Mom, can you read us a story?" Shaeeah begged as she picked up a couple crayons from off the floor. "Please?"

"Alright. Just one."

"Um, Suu," Cut interrupted, hesitatingly. "If you don't mind, I can do it." When he saw her appearance of puzzlement, he looked pointedly at the mended pants in her hands, then back to her.

Suu looked to Shaeeah and Jekk, who seemed surprised for a moment, then both started to smile. "Can he, Mom?" Shaeeah asked.

Arybas had read the children stories before. It was not a new thing. Cut had been with them a few weeks now. If she was going to eventually allow him to babysit, this was as good a place to start as any. "I don't see why not," she allowed.

"I want to pick!" Jekk shouted, then bolted for the stairs.

"Hey! I asked first!" Shaeeah echoed, running quickly after. They pounded up the steps, arguing over what story they wanted. Cut stood still, watching them with a slightly helpless expression.

Suu laughed. "You volunteered."

He nodded sheepishly, then began to follow the children, giving Suu a warm, grateful smile as he headed up the stairs.

She set the pants down on top of the sewing basket, then walked to the table and put away the last of the crayons, picking up the box and returning it to its place in the closet. She could hear the sound of young voices bickering, then a calmer, deeper one placating. Then it continued, more steadily, with the resonance of reading. She strained, but could not quite make out the words.

She was glad Cut was settling in. He worked hard, and learned fast, as he had said. She never saw the blaster he had again, and he was courteous to her always. It was a relief. The children were getting to like him, and he seemed to like them as well. It was quite possible he would leave someday, as Arybas had, but that was in the future. For now, he belonged there.

Suu picked up the nearest of the three drawings. Shaeeah's. She had to grin at it. It was an eopie standing beneath one of the large, bulbous trees that were common on Saleucami. Across the top, she had written in red, "EOPYE". It was a shade of bright electric yellow, with green eyes and spindly sticks for legs. Its feet and snout were loopy scrawls.

She moved on to the next. There was no writing on Jekk's. He was still learning the alphabet, and not as confident with letters. Instead, there was a picture of their house, a long, lumpy rectangle in brown. To one side were a pair of dark orange figures with three black circles on their faces. She wrinkled her nose, thinking, then realized one of them had a bigger midsection than the other. Arybas and Ossa. This time, she laughed out loud. On the other side of the house were four figures. One was small and orange. The other was slightly bigger and a mix of pink and blue. They had black circles for eyes, and what looked like thick antennae sticking straight out of their heads into the air. Shaeeah and Jekk.

The other two figures stood on either side of the children. One was pink with blue circles for eyes, with bigger antennae sprouting from her head. Herself. The other figure stood beside Jekk. It was yellow with a black blob surrounding its head. Cut.

There was a time, not too long ago, when Ossa was not included, and the figure representing Arybas was standing beside Twi'lek shaped squiggles.

Jekk included Cut in the family.

She closed her eyes for a moment and sighed, unsure. Cut had been with them a bit over a month now. She was relieved that her son had accepted the man, once it appeared that Cut would be staying. But it hurt, too. It had hurt when he had first drawn the family, and Arybas had stood there, instead of her husband.

Jekk never knew his father. Shaeeah did not remember him either, though he had played with her and put her to sleep many nights.

She listened to the murmurings of a story being told upstairs, audible over the quiet sound of the news being read. She set Jekk's picture on top of Shaeeah's, and picked up the last picture.

Suu stared for a moment. Then, her brows drawing together, she compared it to Jekk's, her frown deepening rapidly.

It was the same picture.

There were differences. Arybas and Ossa stood to one side of the house, but were more clearly recognizable as Gran. Their eyestalks were visible, narrow ears resting on either side of their heads. The house had windows, full of yellow light and an open door. The three Twi'lek figures had lekku hanging down their backs, not thick antennae sticking skyward. Jekk had drawn Cut standing just beside himself, with Shaeeah and Suu on the other side of him. Cut had drawn himself a few steps away. Present, but separate.

She could not quite explain why the image disturbed her so deeply.

The sound of storytelling subsided. It grew quiet upstairs. Suu breathed in sharply, then quickly turned to the conservator and began sticking the pictures onto it with magnets. Shaeeah would be unlikely to notice, but Jekk always wanted his artwork appreciated. She put Cut's up as well, Shaeeah's in the middle. She held a hand to her mouth, looking at Cut's.

Who was this man, to draw in such a way? Had he copied her son? If so, why? The children sometimes insisted she or Arybas draw with them – Arybas was a poor artist, and usually drew trees. She usually tried to draw pictures of sunsets or of the children themselves, profiles. It always delighted them.

Cut's picture had the same simplicity of subject that her children's had, but with the more careful eye and attention to detail of an adult. It was bizarre.

There was a rumble of thunder outside and a flash. She glanced out the window, then towards the stairs. Cut was coming back down. The news ended, and music began again.

She spun back to her sewing basket, trying to keep from looking unsettled. Cut was always curious, and also perceptive. She was not sure how to explain her sudden discomfort over the drawings. She did not know how to explain it to herself.

"They're in bed, though I don't think they're sleeping," Cut said as he reached the bottom step, giving her an awkward smile. He seemed so hopeful, when he looked like that. He turned his attention to the window, and the rain falling outside of it, beading on the transparasteel. "I guess I should be going, then."

There was only one way to figure this stranger out, and that was to get him to talk. She braced herself as she had not done since the first few days. Cut never gave her any reason to fear him, and instead seemed to work to show her how much she could trust him. He had yet to disappoint her. She felt comfortable with him. Perhaps it was time.

He moved toward the door, and she held up a hand. "Wait." He stopped. "The storm won't last much longer. You can wait here until it passes. The barn will not be so damp."

It was a sorry excuse, and the uncertainty that registered on his face showed that he knew it. It was too obvious she wanted him to stay. Still, he waited, standing straight and still as though waiting for further instruction. She looked around, fiddled with the sewing basket in her hands. Then she reached down and picked up the pants, tossing them to him. "See if they're the right length."

He stared at her openly for a moment, agape, then turned bright red. "Here?"

Her lekku curled up in embarrassment as she realized how he had interpreted her words. Then she flushed at the thought of a pants-less Cut standing half naked in her kitchen. Suu covered her mouth with a hand, suppressing a giggle despite her own embarrassment. She had never heard a grown man squeak quite like that before. She was torn between bursting out in laughter and burying her face in mortification. Her own voice came out rather small when she replied, "I just meant to hold them up."

"Oh. Oh! Yeah." He unfurled the pants, and held the waist to his own. They came down to the same length as the pair he was currently wearing. He was still very red. "They look okay. Thanks, Suu."

"You're welcome." She began fussing over her sewing basket, trying to think of what to say as she put the kit back into its place in the kitchen closet. She set it above the crayon box, just out of Shaeeah's reach.

Cut found a topic for her. "Do you play?"

When she turned back to him, he was standing beside the dejarik table, the pants draped on a chair. The table had been pushed into a corner, and was somewhat dusty. He hovered beside it, looking at the circular checkerboard. He ran fingers over the edge, where the controls were.

When he noticed her strange expression, he paled. "Sorry, it's just I noticed it's here, and I've never seen you use it…." He trailed off, took a step forward, halted, one hand beginning to reach out to her. "Suu?"

"It was my husband's," she said, struggling to keep the thickness out of her voice. She tried to focus on Cut. She wanted him to talk, perhaps this was a way. She battered aside the sudden swelling of old feelings. "Do you play dejarik?"

The moment hung heavily, and Cut seemed to realize he had stumbled onto a sensitive topic. He offered, with false lightheartedness, "No, I've never really had time."

Suu bit her lip and plunged ahead. "I'm not very good at it, but if you want, I can show you what I know."

She realized she did this a great deal. Every day, almost, she was teaching him something. He learned, rapidly, rarely needing instruction twice, but every day, she was teaching him. Little things, simple things. He seemed to be debating the wisdom of asking her to do so now, and so she stepped forward, turning on the table for the first time in years. The controls lit up, a cool bright blue. He hovered close, and she stepped aside, finding space to sit quickly.

More slowly, he pulled up a chair and set himself on it. Holographic pieces flickered upward from the surface of the table, growing from shadows until they seemed near to solid. They stretched and groaned, waving monster-shaped limbs and preparing for battle.

"I'm sorry if I upset you," he apologized quietly. His head was low, mouth drawn thin.

She thought of the drawing as much as the game between them, but she knew he referred only to the dejarik table and her husband, so conspicuously absent. "He would have liked it to get some use," she replied, in a conciliatory tone. He looked up, and began to relax a little. "The point is to take the opponent's creatures, by moving them across the board. The Kintan strider is the most versatile, it can move vertically, horizontally and diagonally." She tried to speak slowly and calmly, dredging up memories of how to play the game. Cut's head remained lowered, for all appearances intent on her explanations.

She wished she understood why he unsettled her so.

She opened the game by moving her Ghhhk forward, making an early play for control of the center of the board. Casually, she said, "Dejarik is a popular game, I'm surprised you have not played before."

Something in Cut's eyes went from relaxed to wary. There was no dramatic change in his expression, but rather a withdrawing, a slight moving back in his chair and a deliberation when he put his hands on the controls and moved his Monnok forward, parallel to her Ghhhk. He remained silent, tension beginning to show as he pursed his lips, letting them draw thin.

"I didn't have a lot of time, before," he said, voice steady, but controlled with deliberation.

He was afraid. It was well covered, contained. But she had seen fear before, controlled fear, when she had been a headstrong girl rushing out to help with a fight that could not be won. _A fighting man_, she had realized the day they first met. A fighting man like the old men who had tried to fight the occupation of the Techno Union. She was not sure why he would be afraid of her questions, but she bit them back and tried a different tack. Pressure made him uncomfortable, and though she wanted some explanations, some understanding, she had no wish to hurt him.

A roundabout way, then. "I did not learn until I was a teenager. We didn't play at home."

An obvious question, then. "Where did you learn?" his posture eased slightly, the topic turning away from him and onto her.

She moved her Houjix forward a few spaces. It halted, tilted its head back and made a small, soundless roar. She considered the best way to phrase her response. "I ran off to the rescue of Saleucami when the Techno Union invaded." A wry smile. "Joined with one of the military groups. We'd play to pass time, some days." She watched him, and felt a small bit of triumph when she caught his expression. Surprise, but more relevantly, sympathy. "I mostly ran messages and cleaned blasters. No one would let a kid of fifteen in a battle." She allowed herself a little laugh, but it died when she saw Cut's face.

"A kid of fifteen," he repeated, distantly.

The unnerved feeling returned abruptly. She tried to lighten the mood, shrugging and gesturing to her lekku, and the intricate designs inscribed on their surface. "They called me a kid. I thought I'd prove them wrong. Imagine my surprise when it hurt, and I was still a kid when I got back. My parents were horrified the next time they saw me. Nice Twi'lek girls don't get their lekku tattooed."

She said it lightly, jokingly. He finally seemed to realize she was still talking, and snapped back to attention, flushing as he looked over the designs patterning her skin. He stared at the dejarik board intently, then quickly slid his K'lor'slug to the side. He took a deep breath and asked, "I didn't know there'd been a fight. When the Techno Union came to Saleucami."

"It wasn't much of a fight," Suu admitted. It hadn't been. They were a bunch of scattered farmers fighting a well funded corporate machine that had decided it would be in its best interest to annex the planet and funnel its revenues into its coffers. She scowled darkly in memory, of the day the black ships arrived.

"Why didn't you ask the Republic for help?"

She looked up at him. He was watching her, with no guile written on his face. It pained her. She gave a bitter laugh. "And if the Republic came, who would get them out?"

Confusion. Did he really think so simply? He had to be from a Republic world. Core, quite likely, to think so well of the Republic.

She continued, "The Republic is little different. The Techno Union acts in the name of profit. The Republic claims to act in the name of democracy, but they take and do not give back. Seekers of profit and gain and nothing else. A good government takes taxes to give back in protection and services. The Republic has ceased to do so, and has not for some time. We are alone out here." She gave him an even look. "I do not mean to offend, if you are a Republic citizen."

Cut was always easy to read, though she did not often know why he reacted in ways he did. Now, he looked stunned, as though she had slapped him. "I'm not a citizen." He sounded somewhat strained, then visibly shook himself for focus. "But there's a war on. They're trying to protect planets from the Separatists, from what they're doing." His voice grew soft. "There are good people fighting."

He said it with such sad conviction, she was certain he knew people there. The Republic's army was composed of clone soldiers, but surely there were others? Technicians, medics, various officers and personnel? Spies and people contracted out, local soldiers on Republic-held planets, fighting off invasion forces. She gambled, saying the words gently and with sympathy, so he would know it was not meant to be a cruel question. She was curious, and knew well the feeling of worrying about loved ones. "Do you have family or friends fighting?"

He grew still. She sucked in a breath. Too much. His hurt was palpable. "Cut, I'm sorry. I did not mean to cause you pain," she trailed off, reached out, placed a hand on his.

He jerked as though shocked, but did not move his hand. His eyes were wide, and she realized suddenly that by leaning over the table to make the contact, they had come close. Her breath drew in hard, and she could just feel his brushing past her face. Then it stopped, and he was looking at her mouth. The radio was still on, the news over, and quieter jazz had begun to play.

She had not kissed a man in four years.

The thought snapped her back to reality, and she abruptly withdrew, lekku hitting the back of the chair as she retreated.

Suddenly shy, she moved her hands to her lap, twined them together. She had wanted to lean further forward. At a loss, she tried to think, to distract herself.

"I've lost brothers," he offered, roughly, apparently experiencing the same feeling of disorientation.

It gave her something to latch onto. "You said you had many."

"Yes. In the war." He was searching for the right words. She felt guilty of trying to force the issue, but the curiosity had not died. Perhaps Shaeeah got it from her. Not knowing when to stop asking questions. "We fought. And they died. What you said, it's true, mostly. About taking and not giving back. I want my own life, Suu." She dared to look up at him again. His had had turned over, palm now faced up, fingers curling around empty air. She fought the urge to fill his hand with hers, to give reassurance. "I'm happy here. I don't want to cause trouble."

"You're not causing trouble. It's hard, to lose loved ones. I am sorry for asking."

"I'm sorry I haven't explained myself. I'm just trying to make a clean break. Things I don't want to think about, things I don't want to worry you about."

They sat in silence until Suu thought of something to lighten the mood. "Is that why you named yourself Lawquane?"

He blinked, then again more rapidly as he saw the slight smile trying to play about her mouth. Surprise switched quickly to embarrassment. "I thought it was a common name. I was just trying to fit in."

"Is there something wrong with yours?" She said it lightly, pushing a teasing edge into it and a bit of a smile.

He shifted uncomfortably, but she could see the tension was broken. He was still embarrassed, but no longer upset. She did not, however, expect his response. "I didn't have one to use." She tilted her head and gave him an expectant look. He responded only by muttering, "Long story."

"I don't care about who you were, Cut Lawquane," she told him, and it was true. Cut No-name. She only wanted to understand. "If it is a home you need, you have it." She gestured towards the conservator and the pictures on it. When he seemed only puzzled, she added, "Look at Jekk's."

His brows drew together in concentration, then raised. "That's me?"

"That's you."

"I couldn't tell what it was."

Suu covered her mouth and nose when a very unladylike snort of laughter came out. "Don't tell him that, he'll be very sad."

He turned back to her, a look of amazement beginning to grow.

"Shall we finish our game?" she asked, gesturing towards the now bored-looking holomonsters on the dejarik table.

Cut struggled for a moment, then began to smile.

It was very late when Cut left that night.

* * *

ZOMG, I got through this chapter. The dejarik scene was so hard to get going! Once it did, it moved along pretty smoothly, but my goodness was it hard to get them to switch from discussing dejarik to making veiled references about Cut's life! So I really hope this came out okay and makes sense!

Also, a big thanks to reviewers! Kat (Look, the romance started!), MindSpring, rockforthecross74, Stardust Katrina, Jadedsnowtiger, Captain Kale, darthritter86, Elven-Spear, Librarian Girl and ! Thank you all!

~Queen


	6. Ruminations at Night

_Homestead_

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Chapter 6. Ruminations at Night

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She understood now, why he unsettled her.

It had been four years since the night Tenedos died. Four years of struggling on her own, four years of raising their children alone, four years of an empty place beside her on their bed, four years without her silly smiling husband working beside her in the field.

Suu stood in her room, wearing her nightgown, with a shawl draped across her shoulders for warmth. Her bare feet rested on a cool wooden floor. She pushed aside the curtain hanging over her window, just enough to peer out to the barn. There were no windows, but the building was not light-tight. Faint gleams of brightness radiated through cracks and seams. He was still awake.

Rain was still falling, though it was a drizzle now. It would be good for the fields.

She had not told him everything about her life tonight. She did not need to. It had been four years since she'd played dejarik. She met Tenedos in the milita. They shared the same idea: save the world. Have brave and daring adventures and proof of courage and mettle. Perhaps there was also a desire to get into trouble and not be scolded by parents.

One of the old men had taught them to play one night. Tenedos was as terrible as her when they first sat across from each other, playing dejarik. It became a game to while away the time, during cold desert nights. He had improved, learning strategies and sending out his holomonster forces against her. She had only countered with chaotic attempts to hold out from the onslaught. He'd tutored her, helped her improve. When she'd proven to be better at sharpshooting, she took time to tutor him in return. They became friends, the two youngest in the group. There was no need to tell Cut she had not gone alone to get her lekku decorated in dark ink. A blue skinned Twi'lek boy had gone with her, and they'd emerged from their adventure with massive headaches, aching lekku, and matching tattoos.

They'd returned to camp laughing, exultant, and then were scolded together for running off so stupidly.

She had not been attracted to another man since.

The dim light coming from the barn disappeared. She let the rough cloth of the drape slide back into place.

Her room was small; a desk, a lamp, a window, a bed for two that was occupied only by one. She adjusted the shawl around her shoulders. It was a gift from Ossa last year, soft and warm, thick knit. As she did every night, she stood and looked at the bed, conjuring in her imagination Tenedos' familiar figure. The shoulders that had grown broad down the years. Thick navy colored lekku spilling from a high forehead. He'd lie there, an arm propped behind his head, and watch her prepare for bed, grinning as he used to. She would say good night, and his image would fade for another day.

But the bed was empty. She closed her eyes for a moment. When she opened them again, it was too easy to imagine another figure. Not vibrant Twi'lek blue, but a light brown, with scruffy black hair and gentle brown eyes. An expression altogether too honest, warm and welcoming.

She turned away and folded her shawl, then switched off the light. Four years alone, in an empty bed. She was lonely and she knew it. It pained her.

No wonder he unsettled her. Attracted to such a confusing, odd man, what was the matter with her? She had gotten some of the truth tonight, but not all. Cut was not a bad man. She refused to believe he was. She did not care who he had been. But the responsible side of her - the side that had formed when she'd married and had children, had started up a farm and taken on the burdens of adulthood – it worried. She was attracted to him, yes. But could she allow herself to fall in love with a man who she knew so little about? Did she want to try to build a relationship with a man who kept secrets? It was not a good start.

She crawled into bed and pulled the covers up to her head, relishing the soft, familiar warmth of the blankets. She breathed in deep the smell of soap and sunshine.

No one would think poorly of her. Four years was a respectable length of time, to mourn, to be widowed. It was more than a respectable length. She suspected that if she did entertain a lover, her friends would be enthusiastically supportive. They'd probably try to push her into a wedding as quickly as possible, bleating all sorts of well meaning, practical, for-your-own-good platitudes about her children needing a father. It irritated her. Was she not doing well enough already? Was she not competent?

She sighed unhappily. The problem was she liked Cut. Genuinely liked him, perhaps more than she should. He was not Twi'lek, and therefore a little odd looking, she supposed, having no lekku and instead such very dull human coloring, but it wasn't a bad kind of odd. Warm honey eyes. Skin that baked darker in the sun. Was hair soft? For Saleucami, he was almost exotic. She flushed and pressed a palm to her forehead. This was not helpful. She should, most likely, be trying to talk herself out of an attraction, not musing on Cut's more distracting physical attributes.

He'd looked at her lips. There was no mistaking his expression, what he wanted. His reaction was so very similar to hers. Perhaps his thoughts were equally uncertain. He could leave. Whatever life he was escaping could catch up with him. Her hands tightened into fists in her blanket. Part of her wanted to reach for an absent blaster rifle and cover his back, protect him from whatever it was. Another part of her feared for her children and the lives they led. They had to come first.

They would remember if Cut left. They were old enough, now.

Jekk had been an infant, when Tenedos left the house the last time, and did not step into it again. Shaeeah was walking, running everywhere as quickly as her chubby baby-legs would let her. Jekk had been sick, a low grade fever that did not put him in danger, but kept him cranky, crying and unhappy. She'd finally gotten him to sleep that final night. Shaeeah was next – they were in Shaeeah's little room, and she was dressing her daughter for bed.

Then a bang, a crash, a shout. It sounded like Tenedos had flung the barn door open too hard, or some equipment fell. Swearing. Kneeling on the floor, toddler clothes scattered around, she'd scooped the girl up, set her in her crib, then went downstairs. Not fast, not slow. Curiously. The sounds were strange. She was halfway to the front door when the feeling of ill-ease spread through her gut. The old soldiers said to listen to it. To hope it was wrong and to listen to it. She picked up her rifle, turned the doorknob, looked narrowly out of the crack-wide door, the blaster poised for aiming.

The bales of hay beside the shed were on fire, the temperature rising and blistering the air. Red firelight lit the dim scene luridly. There were shouts and figures running from the barn, out into the dark evening, blue Wroonian skin turned mottled ash gray from the flickering flames. She pushed open the door and took aim over their heads, shooting to scare them off. They ran faster.

She edged out carefully. The rest of the night passed as snapshots, rapid images imprinted into her mind. Of moving out. Of calling for Tenedos, rifle ready but barrel lowered. Crouching, darting forward, the shed beside her. Of falling to her knees. Of two bodies on the ground, one Wroonian, one Twi'lek. Of dark blue lekku curling around a head lying so still on the ground.

Then her voice was raw. She knew later it was from screaming, but then there were only the images. It was sound that stirred her, wailing from far away. One of the few words Shaeeah could say, over and over again: "_Mama, mama, mama_."

Suu curled up into a ball, pressing the palms of her hands into her eyes. Too many tears. Over four years, she had spent too many tears.

The shed was far enough from the barn and the house not to catch easily. She'd left Shaeeah crying while she frantically tried to call for help, turn on the fire control system, drag her husband's heavy body away from where it fell.

Ossa's family arrived. They took over. She did not remember much else. Help from town came, eventually. Medics, lawmen.

They were thieves. Scraggly thieves, hungry thieves, armed thieves, because everyone on Saleucami had blasters. When they were caught, she was angry at the men, when feelings returned and the numbness receded. She was angry at the men, but she hated the Techno Union, for wringing too much out of people with limited resources, for removing people from their homes and forcing them to wander in a world where everything was controlled by profit and calculation. No alternatives. Nowhere to go. No one to help those in need of it. Eventually empty stomachs and fear and panic. And death.

She was seeing it again, recently. Since the war began. It was why she carried her blaster into town, why she let Cut have his weapon. So many people had that tired, worried look, everywhere. There were increasing numbers of drifters looking for work. There were reports and rumors of robberies and of Union supported activities that no one this far from the city really understood. The Separatists had a droid army, but they still needed money. This far from the city, they were safer. Usually, life went on as usual. The Union had little interest in farmers on the fringe of civilization.

She had to carry on. She needed help. To run the farm, to raise her children, to take in the harvest, to sell her crops at the best price possible so that the Union did not turn its baleful eyes this way. It was the same for everyone. Work hard, keep your head down, pray the times will pass without incident. Resistance already failed.

Suu was tired. Tired of being afraid, tired of doing everything herself, tired of being alone and of being worried.

Cut wanted to be here. It was very likely he needed help. She was willing to provide. If he was willing to stay, she would wait, see how things shook out. She suspected he was worth it. It was the Twi'lek way, to give hospitality, but it was hers and would be her children's to help where they could. There was little enough of it in the world. She had to be sure Cut knew this.

She would wait, and see if he were willing to stay. If he wanted more than just a job, more than just a fling for entertainment, he would have to tell her more, and the puzzles around the man would have to be solved. It would take time, and that was something she had.

Satisfied with her conclusions, she curled up on her side, tucking the pillow closer under her cheek. Her eyes closed, and she began to feel the heavy pull of sleep.

There was a timid knock on the door, followed by an equally timid, "Mom?"

Jekk. She sighed, pushed herself upright. "Yes?"

The door opened and her son stuck his head in, nervously. "I want a drink of water. But _it's_ there."

Jekk was convinced there was a shadow-beast living under the stairs. It was usually chased away by turning on the lights, but apparently not at night. "It's back? Alright. I'll come scare it off again."

She climbed out of bed, took her son's hand and crept downstairs with him, looking out for monsters in the dark.

* * *

Since we're not told anything about Suu's first husband (presuming she had one), I created a small history for them. I have a copy of Homer's _The Odyssey_ sitting on the bookshelf above my computer, and I randomly pillage the Names and Places Index for OC names. All OC's in the story have their names pulled from there.

Til next time!

~Queen


	7. The Purpose of a Blaster

_Homestead_

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Chapter 7. The Purpose of a Blaster

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Suu set a plate of topato mash on the table, and Shaeeah asked, "Is that why your name is Cut?"

The little girl was kneeling on her chair, palms flat on the table as she watched the man with a butcher knife and two-pronged fork in his hands. Cut stood at the head of the table, a roast nuna and a platter of carved meat before him.

Cut hesitated, looking at the items in his hands a long moment. Shaeeah looked up eagerly, waiting for confirmation of her guess. "Right you are," he said, almost suddenly, with a slightly forced cheerful tone. He took the knife and twirled it over his thumb, playfully. "I'm an expert nuna-carver."

"Do it again!" Jekk exclaimed, pointing at Cut's hands.

"What, this?" he twirled the knife again, setting it to spinning with a flick of fingers, the handle of the knife balancing precariously on the side of his hand as it spun, only to return to a firm grip in Cut's hand. Cut grinned.

The kids quickly reached for their own, smaller, duller knives, but were interrupted by Suu saying sharply, "Oh no, not with knives you're not!"

"But Mom!"

She sighed. "Use your crayons if you're going to play, not knives. One of you will poke your eye out, and then where will we be, eh? And you," she turned to Cut and gave him a reproachful, if somewhat amused look, "Don't encourage them to play with sharp things."

Cut laughed and gave her a little salute. "Yes, ma'am." He turned to Shaeeah and Jekk and said, very seriously, but with a tiny grin, "You heard your mother. No playing with knives."

They were instantly off to the closet to get their crayon box. Suu shook her head a little, as they each grabbed a crayon and tried to imitate Cut, balancing the crayons between their small fingers and then pushing the ends of the crayons into what they hoped would be a spin. The crayons fell, only to be picked up again for another attempt.

Cut returned to his carving, making neat, precisely slender slices and transferring them to the platter. There was always enough for leftovers when she made a whole nuna. They'd finally finished the spring planting yesterday, and today they had rested a little – most of the work was in the kitchen, preparing the nuna and vegetables. It smelled of spices and roasted meat inside the house, which was lit up brightly against Saleucami's dark. The radio played cheerfully in its corner.

Once the final pieces of nuna were piled onto the platter, Cut watched the children play for a moment, the crayons flying through the air before falling to the floor. He exchanged a smile with Suu, and she said, "Alright, enough for now. Come eat."

"There's a lot!" Shaeeah declared as she squirmed back into her seat, bringing her crayon with her and setting it on the table.

"We can have it for dinner tomorrow," Suu told her by way of reply, reaching for the topato mash and spoon to begin serving it to Jekk.

Shaeeah looked thoughtful for a moment, and Suu braced herself. She knew that expression. Shaeeah was either going to come up with something brilliant, or say something to cause trouble. Seconds later, Shaeeah finished forming her thought and brightened, bouncing. "Let's have a picnic! Can we Mom? Can we?"

Jekk's eyes rounded, then lit up, taking on his sister's enthusiasm. "Yeah, can we? Can we please?"

She rolled her eyes and looked at Cut. "They never give up when they sound like this."

He took it good-naturedly. "Then I guess we'll have to go on a picnic."

The kids burst out into a cheer. Suu's brows raised. "I don't recall saying yes."

"But Cut said we could!"

She covered a face with her hand and resisted groaning. Since when had Cut become that much of an authority figure? She shook her head. "Alright, alright, we'll go."

More cheers. Cut laughed a little, smiling warmly, first at the children, then at her.

After a moment, she returned it, and his warmed still further.

* * *

They ate early the next day, during the mid-afternoon hour that served as Saleucami's sunset.

An old blanket was unfolded, and they sat on the corners of it, with a basket full of food in the center. Suu and Cut made sandwiches out of the sliced nuna and the rich wheat bread they'd made earlier in the week. Cold topato mash and sliced fruit with blue milk finished off the meal.

Eating outside was a treat; they'd chosen a spot near the edge of the farmland, under a large bulbous tree and just before the high grasses of unclaimed land began. Suu's blaster leaned against the tree, and an electric lantern kept a pool of light surrounding them. As dusk fell, the sounds of the evening began to rise; calls of avians and insects and grasses rustling in the breeze. Glowbugs began to fade into existence, their little lights flickering in and out, first above the high grass, then sailing in closer.

Shaeeah and Jekk were running around chasing them. Shaeeah had caught one, and it was sitting on her hand. Jekk was busy inspecting it while Shaeeah showed it off proudly.

Cut and Suu remained on the blanket, watching, legs stretched in front of them and leaning back on their elbows. Suu allowed herself a narrow glance at Cut's profile, tracing its outline. His lips were curved upward as he watched the children play, some crinkling around his eyes showing evidence of laughter lines. He still looked scruffy, with his hair growing out wildly. It was too long to be tamed, but still slightly too short to pull back. It curled around his ears and the nape of his neck. He needed to shave, and there was rough looking stubble on his cheek.

He seemed so comfortable. As the weeks had passed, he had grown relaxed. There were still moments when she wondered, so sharply, _who is this man?_ But since the night of playing dejarik, she had managed to let go of some of her fears. Cut was Cut, and it was part of the process, learning who he was.

It was then that he noticed her attention. He blinked once, turned his head slightly to meet her gaze. Perhaps, a few weeks ago, before the dejarik, she would not have noticed the undercurrent of growing affection in that look. That night, she had shied from it, once she understood what it was.

This time, she met it, held it. Cut grew still, struggling for a moment, then eased. The children played, nearby but very distant from the pair sitting on the blanket, leaning closer until their arms were pressed against each other's. They drew very close, and there was only the softness of breath between them.

A scream.

The breaths were sucked back in with shudders, and the closeness was broken as they were forced to pull back. Both were on their feet in an instant, Suu reaching for her blaster rifle as the kids ran back to the blanket, pointing at the tall grass. Cut ushered them closer to the tree.

"There's something out there!" Shaeeah exclaimed, still pointing backward. Suu moved forward, prepping her rifle and scanning the grass. Something set it rippling against the wind, moving horizontally. She lifted the rifle and braced it against her shoulder, fired once. There was a squealing yelp, then a rush of movement away.

"Just a scavenger, Shaeeah," Suu said, frowning at the breeze. They were upwind of the creature. She shifted her rifle to sit more comfortably against the crook of her shoulder. "Probably smelled our dinner and came looking."

Shaeeah and Jekk peered out from around Cut's legs, nervously searching in the direction the animal had run. Cut placed a hand on Shaeeah's head, then stepped aside and said, "I think it's alright."

The children crept a little closer together, watchfully, but with lessening fear. Cut moved to stand by Suu, and the pair of them took a good look over the tall grasses. They would be going home in a moment due to this, but if the unidentified creature was hungry enough, a scavenger could sometimes turn predator.

"Mom?" Shaeeah said, in a small but determined kind of voice. She wore a peculiar expression, a little nervous, but stubborn too, the look Suu recognized as the one she had when she was going to say something she expected to get her into trouble, but was preparing to argue anyway. She shifted from foot to foot. "Can I?"

Suu looked at her blankly for a moment. Shaeeah was pointing at her. She almost asked, _Can you what?_ but noticed that Shaeeah wasn't pointing directly at Suu herself, but at the blaster poised in her hands.

She felt blood drain from her face, her lekku curl, and something cold and hard settle in her stomach. She struggled for control, and not to snarl _absolutely not!_ at her daughter. This was Saleucami. There would be a day Shaeeah would have to learn, to protect herself, because there were too many places where nobody else would. She choked back sudden shock and fought for calm. "Why?" came out, grindingly hard.

Shaeeah shifted a little, edging slightly closer to Jekk and looking at him sideways, her lips twisting into a nervous little pucker. She put her hands behind her back. Jekk stood still, watchful, not quite grasping the meaning of what his older sister was trying to convey.

Someday, maybe, she would not be there to protect them. Someday they would have to learn.

But not today. Her fingers flexed around the barrel of the blaster, flicked the safety back on and she struggled to think of how to explain to a child what she was asking.

Cut spoke then, stepping forward and kneeling down on one knee to bring himself closer to the height of the children. "How old are you, Shaeeah?"

She looked at Cut, then her mother for reassurance, then Cut again, slowly bringing her hands from behind her back and holding up fingers. "I'm six."

"I'm five," Jekk added, not wanting to be left out.

"Six and five," Cut repeated, smiling with a deliberate, calming smile that did not quite reach his eyes. "Do either of you know what a blaster is for?"

The children blinked, exchanged glances. Shaeeah, being the elder, answered for both. "Mom uses it to protect us." She placed her hands on Jekk's shoulders, and they made a small, solid stand. Shaeeah was not being scolded for her request, nor was she being denied. They were uncertain how to respond to Cut's questioning.

The smile reached his eyes for a moment, flickered, then disappeared again. "And that's a very noble thing." He leaned back a little and his hands moved, curving around the air and tracing the patterns of where a barrel would be, a trigger. "But that's how your mom uses it. It's not what a blaster is _for_."

The children drew together a little, sensing the seriousness. Suu stood quietly aside, watching, feeling something caught between fear and gratitude and pity. He spoke with too much experience in his voice.

"Blasters are for killing," Cut told them, as gently as one could tell children such a thing. "Learning to use a blaster is to learn how to kill. No six year old or five year old should ever be learning how to fire one."

Suu heard the tang of bitterness in the last words, quickly controlled, and she came and placed a hand on his shoulder. He flinched, but not away.

The solemnity of the moment lay heavily, and as Shaeeah's brows drew together in worry, Jekk began to sniffle, from uncertainty and from the seriousness of the adults and his sister.

"I don't want to hurt anyone," Shaeeah said, trying to explain herself, timidly.

"We know you don't, Shaeeah," Suu said, kneeling down next to Cut to bring herself to the level of the others. "And wanting to protect your brother is a good thing. But blasters are not for children." She gave what she hoped was an encouraging look, to try to keep the children from their fears. "You did the right thing, running back to get help," she placed a hand on Shaeeah's head, then leaned forward and kissed her forehead, then Jekk's. "Don't grow up so fast, understand? Let us protect you." A couple of quick nods. "Alright, then let's clean up here."

Shaeeah and Jekk idled to the side a little, then shuffled a couple steps onto the blanket, beginning to pick up what was left of their food to put back into the basket.

Suu tilted her head to look at Cut, still kneeling, a look of grim relief on his face. She traced with her eyes the slope of his neck down to his shoulder, and the dark hair and brown shirt he wore. It was no time for a serious conversation, not with the children standing there and needing to get them inside.

But it pained her to see him pained, and so she placed an arm around his shoulders to try to give him comfort - against what she did not know.

"Let's go home," she told him.

* * *

I have to give a hat tip to the anime series _Rurouni Kenshin_ for the inspiration of this chapter. If you've seen the series (or at least the first episode), you know why. If not, no worries.

Thanks to everyone for their comments thus far! They're much appreciated. I think the next chapter is one you've all been waiting for. Til then!

~Queen


	8. A Deserter and a Farmer

_Homestead_

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Chapter 8. A Deserter and a Farmer

* * *

Dinner had become the time of day to relax.

With spring now in full swing, Suu and Cut spent most of their time in the field, with the children tagging along and helping wherever they could, and playing nearby when they could not. Dinner marked downtime, or at least time not spent in the fields. Meals were simple, fast, and quickly devoured from large appetites earned over the course of the workday.

Today was flatbread with cheese and vegetables. Shaeeah was picking off the mushrooms, because mushrooms were icky fungus. Jekk was picking off the cheese and toppings to eat them separately, because cheese and vegetables did not belong on bread. Suu was rolling her eyes, wishing they would eat properly. Cut was laughing and bringing a fresh pitcher of muja juice to the table.

The radio switched from music to news.

"…_forces of the Galactic Republic have begun an invasion of the planet Christophsis, where the Confederacy of Independent Systems, led by the General Whorm Loathsom, is mounting a spirited defense the planet they have so recently liberated. Defensive forces have repeatedly repelled the invading troops with minimal Confederate casualties…._"

"Cut?" Jekk said, around a mouthful of cheese. Shaeeah and Suu looked up from their food, to see Cut standing very still at the edge of the table, the pitcher still in his hands. He turned away from them to face the radio, still pronouncing news of the day, in its corner. "…_Confederacy leaders expect to expel the invaders and secure a victory that will decimate forces sent to the planet, sending a message to Republic leaders that we will not be cowed into submission_…."

Suu moved quickly enough to catch the pitcher before it slipped out of Cut's fingers. Her sudden appearance, with her hands wrapping around his, startled him out of his distraction. She looked at him in the face, saw the stricken look in his eyes, but recognized some measure of guilt as well. She wondered at it, worried about it, and took the pitcher from him, setting it quickly on the table. "Are you not feeling well?" she asked, quietly, resisting the urge to place her hand on his forehead to check for temperature. It was not illness, but news that brought about the sudden change. Illness, though, provided Cut a reason to leave if he so needed.

He was too distracted for gratitude, and looked down and away, nodding. "Yeah. Headache. I think I'm going to go lie down for awhile."

"Are you okay?" Shaeeah asked, both children looking worriedly at the man. Cut mustered a smile for them and nodded, putting a hand to his temple as though in a bit of pain.

"I'll be alright. Just a bit of a headache. I'm going to go lie down. I'm sure I'll be fine in the morning."

His back was stiff, straight, his shoulders tense, fists clenched with determination. He seemed to want nothing more than to get out of the room. Suu took two fast steps across the kitchen and switched off the radio. Cut looked at her, and she met his gaze, hard. She gave a small, understanding nod. There was a flicker of relief, and he turned to leave.

When the door came to a close, Jekk looked up at Suu and said, "Is Cut okay?"

Suu gave her children what she hoped was a reassuring smile. "No, but I think he will be. Why don't you draw him a picture after dinner to cheer him up?"

Jekk blinked once, then took a look of resolve. He began to eat very quickly.

Suu looked at the empty space across from her at the table and worried.

* * *

A few hours later, Suu placed fruit on a tray, then a pair of brightly colored get well cards.

She left the kitchen light on, and took the key with her, locking the door behind her before crossing over to the barn. She wasn't sure how long she would be gone. Perhaps a minute. Perhaps an hour.

Cut knew people on the front. It was the only explanation she could find to explain his behavior at dinner. The clone army was led by Jedi. There may also be officers, medics, or technicians on the front. He'd expressed Republican leanings before, and though the news always had a Separatist slant on this Techno Union owned world, it did not sound good for Republic forces.

She lifted a hand and knocked on the door, then waited a moment. There was no answer. She frowned, unsure if this meant Cut simply did not want company, or if he had gone to sleep. There seemed to be a glow around the door, so if he slept, it was with the lights on. She sighed. She was going to be curious again and push things, at least a little. She quickly typed in the numerical password into the lock, and slid the barn door open with her free hand.

Cut was sitting on one of the benches, Oleary trying to distract him with eopie clicking noises and an attempt at a tongue bath. He pushed her lightly away, and looked up to acknowledge Suu's arrival. She closed the barn door behind her.

"Hi," she said, and placed the tray on one of the unoccupied benches. "I brought you some fruit, if you were hungry. Shaeeah and Jekk were worried, they drew you cards."

Cut looked a little embarrassed. "Sorry, I didn't mean to worry anyone."

"You looked like you saw a ghost. It's hard not to be worried," she told him. Oleary lifted her head and wandered over to greet Suu, who petted her snout and then led her to her stall, latching it firmly and giving the eopie a final pat before returning to Cut. "You know people involved. Probably on the side of the Republic. Am I right?"

Cut hung his head, his elbows on his knees, hands dangling between them. "That's one way of putting it."

He looked so dejected. Suu sighed, unsure if she should press the matter much further. Demanding answers would only leave him feeling cornered. He needed comforting, not questions. She stepped a little closer, placed a hand on his head, which caused him to look up, startled. "I have no love for the Techno Union, or the Separatists. I'm not sure what is wrong, but you do not need to worry about what I think, at least. You're a good man, and you know you have a home here, for as long as you need it." She let her hand slide from his head to his cheek.

Cut did not seem to be breathing, she realized after a moment. She moved her fingers so that her palm lay flat against his skin, a gesture of sharing strength rather than simple affection. She did not look away.

He began to breathe again, taking in small, shuddering breaths that seemed to brace him for his next words. Her fingers fell away, and she found herself leaning forward, anticipating.

"I'm a deserter."

She stared at him a moment, then tilted her head. "Deserter?" He nodded, waiting, watching. Suu stared at him for a long moment. "Were you an officer?"

Cut laughed once, hard and without humor. "No. Trooper. Just another meat-can."

Suu pulled back slightly. "Meat-can?" the words came out with enough distaste that Cut laughed again, in that hard way that did not suit him. "I don't understand. A trooper? The Republic's army is made of…" the words died as understanding dawned. "Stars," she said, eyes widening in shock.

Cut returned to his earlier, sulky position, shoulders hunched, head down. Suu stared at the top of his head. Tension was holding him taut. She pressed a hand to her face and breathed in a couple of times, then sat down abruptly next to him, took one of his hands and squeezed it, not trusting herself to talk yet. A deserter from the Republic army. A clone trooper. Several swear words coursed through her head.

She knew the propaganda, at least what was promoted by the Confederacy owned galactic radio newscasters. Clones were flesh-droids. Expendable, perfect soldier-creatures created for war. Slaughtering them was like slaughtering nuna, pitiable, but since they were barely sentient, the act was not morally reprehensible. The terrible act was the Republic making them in the first place. Suu felt vaguely ill.

"There was a battle near Saleucami, just after the first round at Geonosis," he said, bitterly. "I left then. I didn't want a war. You must think I'm a coward."

Startled, Suu shifted. Sharply, she said, "Don't put thoughts into my head."

He waited, watching her, then seemed to realize they were still holding hands. He stared down at their twined fingers, very still, then he looked back to her, with an expression that seemed to be attempting hope. Suu tried to gather her thoughts. A deserter, a clone trooper. A drifter. Lawquane, wanting to fit in. Lots of brothers, a room of his own, a military grade blaster. The last few months of working in the fields. Drawings with the children. Dejarik. _What a blaster is for_.

"How old were you, when you first fired a blaster?" she asked.

"Live fire? About two," he replied.

Suu shut her eyes, hard, pressed her lips together, the image of a two year old Shaeeah holding a blaster as big as she was floating behind her eyelids. That was insane. She swore softly, this time aloud.

"I'm sorry," Cut apologized.

Suu shook herself, then looked at him strangely. "For what?"

"Bringing this on you."

She sighed, leaned against him, letting her head rest on his shoulder as she tightened her grip on his hand. He started a little, surprised at her reaction, then eased. She felt him, slowly, lean down so that his cheek was against her forehead. "You are you," she told him. "I do not retract what I said. You have a home here." Then, more fiercely, added, "You are no coward. That I cannot believe."

"I deserted from the army –"

"What do I care, about the Republic army?" she snapped, straightening enough to look into his face. "What do I care about the Republic that takes and does not give back? The Republic that is no better than the Separatists? If not with the Republic, then where _is_ your loyalty, Cut?"

He could only look at her.

She kissed him, firmly, returning her hand to his cheek to guide him closer when he froze. Then, slowly, he kissed back, uncertainly, pressing forward and then pausing as though he was not quite believing what was happening. When she wrapped an arm around him and pressed herself closer, he eased, imitated, pulling her tightly against him. Suu let her eyes open a little, to see his face so close, eyes closed. She let her own drift shut again. He was warm, body continuing to alter between tension and relaxation as he tried to kiss her. He was nervous, and though not bad at it, a little unsure of himself. Two, when he first fired a blaster. She wondered if he had ever had leave, had ever been able to kiss a woman before. It was not right. He was too old for this to be his first. The thought made her shudder, and Cut must have thought it was one of pleasure and not sadness, because he redoubled his efforts. Her train of thought trailed away in her mind as he succeeded in distracting her, one of his hands wandering upward to stroke one of her lekku.

That time, she gasped, eyes flying wide. Cut stopped, staring, then starting to stammer what she figured was an apology. She kissed him quiet, then, shyly, leaned close to his ear and said, "That was not a bad gasp."

She grinned when he turned red. She giggled a little, then reached up and touched his hair, running her bright fingers through its darkness. It was soft. She felt herself flush a little as well. Such very human hair. Human. _Rights_. A sudden curl of rage at the propaganda swelled up inside her, and she had a sudden protective urge to grab her blaster and find whoever spread such lies about such a good man and shoot them. That desire was replaced with another sort, when Cut leaned down and kissed her again, tentatively repeating his earlier gesture with her lekku.

She closed her eyes, felt his warmth and solidity, and forgot for a little while.

* * *

Suu tried not to doze off.

She couldn't stay like this, as comfortable as it was. She smiled a little, lazily, and stroked Cut's soft hair again. He had fallen asleep, his mouth slightly open, with a bit of drool threatening to trail down to his pillow.

They were still clothed, and Suu was unsure if this was the outcome she'd really wanted once they'd started, but for now it was probably the best one. Cut was willing, but still a little jumpy, and more than a little worked up over the battle beginning on Christophsis. '_My brothers are dying and I'm not doing anything_' he'd said. '_I don't want to be a soldier, wasn't ever given a choice in the matter, but they're my brothers and I'm not doing anything to help them_.'

She'd kissed him again until he forgot to pay attention to his worries. They'd still be there in the morning, and she could not wake up beside him to distract him again. Not yet, at least.

He'd spoke, talked to her the way she'd wanted for some time. '_I was decanted on Kamino_.' Decanted, not born. His terminology disturbed her. '_Clones age rapidly –__** I**__ age rapidly – so we can get on the field_.' Born to fight, born to die. She'd asked him how old he was. He wore such a look then, afraid of her reaction, of her rejection. '_Eleven. Biologically, about twenty-two or twenty-three_.'

She'd held him, suggested they lie down. The proposition had quickly derailed any further worrying on the matter.

It was a great deal to take in. Not pushing things any further tonight was the wisest course, though perhaps not the most entertaining one. She ran her pink fingers through his hair again. She'd always thought hair would be soft, but not so smooth. It always stood up in such strange tufts, she'd expected it to be coarser, bristly. Or dry feeling, like pillow stuffing. She lowered a fingertip to touch his jawline, felt the prickliness of stubble. Apparently when hair was very short, it was hard and prickly, and somehow became softer as it lengthened.

Cut still confused her, and managed to attract her at the same time. He was young-old, wise-innocent, not one thing or the other. Cut was Cut, and she supposed she'd take him as he was. He was no child – no little boy kissed like _that_ – but it explained some of his odder tendencies and lack of certain practical pieces of knowledge, his odd perceptions. She thought of his childlike drawing of a family, drawn with the detail and depth resultant of an adult's mind.

He had an army of brothers out there the same way, without the courage to try to become their own men. Or perhaps they found other ways? She wondered if she would ever see another Republic trooper. If she did, it would mean the war had come to Saleucami. She hoped it would never happen.

She pitied them, and pitied the Republic for their desperation, even as she despised them for what they had done. At least the Separatists used droids to fight their horrid, stupid war.

The sound of Oleary trying to pick at her latch stirred her out of her thoughts. She couldn't stay, not with Shaeeah and Jekk inside the house alone. She already spent much longer here than she expected. Carefully, she rolled back, trying not to disturb Cut, but he immediately woke. A light sleeper. He didn't need to speak to ask: _Where are you going?_

She smiled a little. "I can't stay. Jekk is convinced there's a monster under the stairs, and if he finds out I'm gone, he'll think I've been eaten."

Cut blinked once, then chuckled. He touched her cheek, lightly. "Suu," he started, with a certain look of determination. She kissed him gently to cut him off.

"Finish that sentence, and I won't be able to leave, and I have to." She kissed him again, swiftly, then got to her feet. "Finish it later."

He watched her from his bed, a slow, happy grin spreading across his face, and it warmed her thoroughly. She told herself, sternly, she had to get inside, to be present for her children. She could not crawl back into bed with Cut and kiss him until they were both senseless.

"Good night, Cut," she said.

"Good night, Suu," he replied.

She slipped away, back into the house, resisting the urge to feel giddy like a little girl.

* * *

I debated a lot over the timeframe. Initially, it was going to be the second battle of Geonosis on the radio, but after a lot of arguing with myself, I decided it was simply too much of a time-crunch. The second battle of Geonosis (when Ahsoka and Barriss get buried under the droid factory) is only a couple episodes before "The Deserter", implying that they happen close to each other. In order for Cut and Suu to meet, fall in love, marry, and for the kids to get comfortable with calling Cut "Dad" and not "Cut", there has to be a certain amount of time passing. Christophsis feels a little too early, but it's the only other major battle in the series that felt significant enough and big enough to make sufficient impact on Cut. I'm not counting precisely how long Cut's been on Saleucami, but at this point it's probably around six or seven months. I've pored over the timelines on Wookiepedia, but TCW conflicts with prior Clone War timelines in various ways, and isn't always clear what's happening when compared to prior canon. I've done my best to sort it out clearly, but it may still be a bit muddled.

Anyway, lol, long explanation for something none of you may care about. Things move quite quickly for Cut and Suu from here on out.

Til next time!  
~Queen


	9. Chocolate and Thieves

_Homestead_

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Chapter 9. Chocolate and Thieves

* * *

Suu placed the bags of groceries into the back of the speeder truck, grunting a little with the effort.

She'd be busy tonight with baking and getting Shaeeah and Jekk thoroughly washed and remaining that way. When the official invite to Arybas and Ossa's wedding had come, it had included Cut's name as well. It was a politeness, welcoming him. She doubted they expected him to actually appear, but for a Gran wedding, more was always merrier. They'd be glad to see him. Cut was actually quite excited about it.

He'd never been to a party before, he'd confessed that morning. Not just a wedding. A party. Any party.

Suu was excited as well, happy for the pair. She'd introduced them, her new farmhand and her young neighbor. She smiled to herself, thinking of the evening prior. So many things made much more sense now. She frowned a little, the feeling of fluttery happiness warring with anger over the situation. There was nothing she could do, nothing beyond what she was already doing, but it angered her nonetheless.

Cut deserved better. He'd looked at her so hopefully at breakfast that morning, Shaeeah and Jekk running underfoot as usual. She'd smiled at him, warmly. It seemed to confirm something for him – perhaps some concern she would change her mind in the morning? His worry had melted into delight. She suspected that if Jekk hadn't gone tearing between the two of them, he would have tried to kiss her good morning.

It all felt very strange, in some ways. But she couldn't resist the feeling of happiness that he seemed to bring along with everything else.

Tonight, she'd bake sweets for the wedding, after the children were in bed. And if Cut wanted to stay and help her, well, she certainly wouldn't complain. Would he like chocolate flavored kisses? She caught herself mid-giggle and shook her head. She was entirely too old to be giggling like a teenager again. She tried to make a more serious face, but her lips kept trying to curl upward.

Then, from across the street came a call of, "Ah, you are baking tonight too!" Suu turned to see Chios plodding across the street, a bulky bag of groceries in hand and his usual broad smile on his face. "Elis, she says to me, 'I need blue milk! I can't make the custard without milk!' so, here I am being a good husband." Suu laughed, bent down slightly and gave the old man a quick peck on the cheek in greeting, which was promptly returned. "You getting ready for the big day tomorrow?"

"Of course," Suu smiled, waving a hand towards the groceries in the back of the truck. "Just picking up a few necessities. Can't make chocolate pie without chocolate."

Chios's eyes widened. "Ah, the famous chocolate pudding pie. Such exotic flavors! You'll save me a piece, eh?"

"It will be on the desert table with everything else. You can fight Arybas for it."

He laughed, then took on a slightly more serious look. "And all is going well for you? No problems?" He tilted his head to look at her somberly. "No wandering hands and dirty brains?"

Suu blinked, then her lekku curled up as her eyes scrunched shut in embarrassment.

Chios's face hardened in misunderstanding. "Where is he? I'll get my blaster and shoot him."

"Ah, no, Chios!" Suu waved her hands a bit, frantically. The Wroonian's scowl faded into puzzlement. "He, ah," her lekku twitched and she ran a hand over her face, trying to think of the best way of phrasing. "He had permission?" it came out a bit weakly, questioningly.

Chios stared at her a long moment, face softening into something gentler. "Ah, I see." He chuckled, then wagged a finger at her. "It's good for you! You're a good woman. You pick a good man, make yourself happy. And if he turns out to be not such a good man, I'll still shoot him for you," he said, reaching up and giving her a light pat on the cheek, in a kind of fatherly gesture.

"He'll be coming tomorrow." Her lekku twitched and her brow wrinkled. "It's a little delicate, Chios, so please don't do anything."

Chios harrumphed, shrugged. "I know, I know, I'm as quiet as a bulldozer, my wife always tells me. Don't worry," he drew a hand across his mouth. "I will be good." Then he laughed heartily.

Suu shook her head, a little exasperated and a little amused. "Thank you, Chios. I'll see you tomorrow afternoon, then."

He waved as she climbed into her truck and headed home.

* * *

She knew something was wrong as soon as she saw her children.

Jekk was doodling with a crayon, half-heartedly, on the front stoop. Shaeeah was bouncing her hoverball and doing an odd sort of listless shuffle. They both looked up, wide-eyed, when she stepped out of the speeder.

Shaeeah took a couple of hesitant steps forward, then burst into a run to cover the space between them, dropping her ball on the way. She buried her face in Suu's stomach and hugged her. Suu placed a hand on her head, looking around. Nothing seemed to be destroyed, and though her children looked dejected, they did not look panicked or terrified. Had they gotten themselves into trouble? "What has happened? Where is Cut?"

Shaeeah pointed, then sniffled, as Suu began to walk. "Notch is gone."

Suu stopped walking, then looked down at her daughter. This was about nunas? Notch was one of their best egg layers, and Shaeeah had adopted the creature as something akin to a pet. "What do you mean, Notch is gone?"

Shaeeah just pointed towards the nuna house, and as Suu set off for the building again, Jekk trotted up beside them, watchful.

Cut was kneeling in front of the nuna house, a few of the nuna wandering around, idly pecking at the ground or at each other, squabbling. He had out their toolbox, and seemed to be putting the finishing touches on a new nuna house door. The old one was lying beside him, broken at the top, the hinges bent as though they had been struck.

She grew very still. Someone had broken into the nuna house.

She'd left early that morning, right after breakfast, for shopping. They would have discovered it when going out to feed the nunas shortly after.

Someone had broken into the nuna house.

_Thieves_.

Her breath came short. Her children had been alone inside the house. There were thieves in the area and her children had been alone inside the house for two hours while she sat in the barn and kissed Cut last night.

She was vaguely aware of the children standing on either side of her. Cut suddenly appeared before her, worried. He placed his hands on her shoulders and said, "Suu? Are you alright?"

Her breath came back in a rush, and she sucked in air, nodding quickly. Something on her face must have betrayed her continuing distress, because Cut looked down at the children and said, gently, "Why don't you two go back in the house while I talk to your mom a bit?"

A little unhappily, the two of them turned, reluctantly trudging back towards the house with a couple of long, curious glances behind them. Once they had rounded the corner of the building, Cut edged forward a little more, as though to finish embracing her. Suu stiffened, uncomfortable.

"My husband was killed during a robbery," she said abruptly.

Cut watched her for a long moment, fingers lightly resting on her shoulders. Then he said, "I'm sorry."

Suu nodded, looking away. Then he moved forward, held her.

She closed her eyes, pressed her face into his shoulder. "How bad is it?" she asked him.

"Just the one nuna. Someone was hungry, most likely. Broke the door to get into the nuna house. That's all. Nothing else I've been able to find. Some tracks leading towards the scrub bush."

The war. There were so many drifters from the cities looking for work and food. She wrapped her arms around Cut's waist. He was still there. Still alive. Still solid and whole and upright and with her. "Just a nuna. One nuna. Someone was hungry. We got off easily." The words felt a little hollow, but served as an attempt to reassure herself that this time was not like last time. One hungry thief wanting a meal was nothing. She was overreacting. One nuna. One broken door. The children were fine. Cut was fine. She was fine. There was no _fire, blood, death_. Everything was fine.

"Are you alright?" he asked again.

She took a fresh breath, long and deep, and straightened herself, shuddering a little in the process. "Yes." He gave her a questioning look, and she managed a small smile. "Yes. Really. I'm just…" she trailed, waving a hand and shaking her head. "I am afraid, of such things." She placed a hand on his cheek. "I do not want to lose anyone again. A nuna is a very small thing in comparison."

He kissed her, quickly. Not a kiss of passion, but one of reassurance and support. She ran her fingers over his now clean shaven cheek. She was going to have to talk to the children. They would notice the change in relationship soon.

It was hard not to be reminded of the past. But this time, there were no flames, no death. She would be more vigilant. More cautious. This was a warning. No one would hurt her family again. She kissed Cut harder, tightening her grip.

None of them.

* * *

I just wanted to thank everyone who's been reviewing! Jadedsnowtiger, Kat, darthritter86, LostLyra, Pirate Ninjas of the Abyss, Elven-Spear, Stardust Katrina, Ms. MaraJade and trina! Thank you all, I do appreciate the comments you all leave!

~Queen


	10. Saleucami Wedding Song

_Homestead_

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* * *

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Chapter 10. Saleucami Wedding Song

* * *

They were almost late for the wedding.

Suu had been uncomfortable leaving, checking and rechecking the locks on the doors to the house and barn. She'd hovered around the nunas most of the morning as well. They'd let them run free range, in hopes of the creatures having some ability to escape if they were threatened. The eopies were locked firmly in the barn.

Still, it had taken Cut's careful pressing to get her to leave. Life could not come to a halt because of fear.

He drove the speeder while she fretted, hands tightening into the blue fabric of the sundress she wore. Cut had done an extra check of the homestead's perimeter the night before, with the military grade blaster he had brought with him, now loaded, in hand. She did not feel silly for her worries, but had to repeatedly tell herself her family was safe, and with her. Shaeeah and Jekk were wedged into the space on the seat between herself and Cut, both of them trying very hard not to fidget from excitement.

When they arrived at Ossa's family farm, there were already large numbers of speeders clustered around the grounds, and there was a pleasant hum rising from the chatter of the guests, occasionally punctured by roars of laughter or shouts of welcome. Musicians tuned instruments in a corner, and torches were already staked into the ground in anticipation of Saleucami's early evenings. For now, the sun was still out, shining as brightly as it ever did on their dim planet, lending warmth and brightness to the scene. The four of them piled out of the speeder, Suu with pie in hand, and made their way through the milling crowd to add her sweets to the table. Already, it seemed to groan under the weight of the desserts, growing heavier every moment.

The Gran were a people of communities. Ossa's family farm was a good size, with several families of cousins, aunts and uncles, all living in the small houses that sat across from a large, shared barn and workspace. Ossa's family was everywhere, the more extended portions of it pouring in from similar communities across the county, joined and increased by friends and neighbors, Gran, Wroonian, Twi'lek and human, even the periodical Weequay wandering through. The place was a riot of color, style, species and age. Several children went screaming past, and Shaeeah and Jekk instantly looked up to her, mouths open and drawing breath to ask permission.

"Not yet," Suu shaded her eyes with a hand, looking towards the center, where a few Gran males were starting to push people aside and clear a path. "It's going to start in a few minutes. I want you two with us until after the ceremony. Then you can play."

"Okay," they chorused, aiming jealous looks after the game of tag running by, but willing enough to go along with the promise of playing later.

"What now?" Cut asked, quickly backing aside as a pair of elderly Gran females bustled past with trays of sweets. He was looking between the swelling crowd and the table stacked with desserts with no small amount of amazement, mouth open and eyes darting everywhere, drinking it all in.

Suu almost laughed at his expression. Then she did. This was a good party. A Gran wedding on Saleucami was always a good party. She could not live her life being terrified. Her family was here, safe, and her friends were getting married. She sighed, then smiled warmly. "Now, we get in line. Come on." Then she added, in a mother's warning tone, "_Shaeeah." _She leveled a look of 'I see what you're doing' at her daughter, who was failing to be at all subtle in her attempt at stealing something off the dessert table. "_After_ the ceremony."

Shaeeah made a sour face, but dutifully followed the others as they worked their way into the crowd. Suu stood on her toes and tried to skim the surface of the crowd, to pick out friends and acquaintances. She caught Chios's eye at about the same time he noticed her, waving.

A moment later, the family was standing in front of Chios and Elis, both of whom were beaming. Elis reached out and kissed Suu politely on the cheek in greeting. "How are you, dear?"

"I'm well, thank you," Suu began to reply, only to be interrupted with astonishment as Chios swept forward, planted himself in front of Cut, looked him up and down with a stern glare - then grabbed a startled Cut in a bone crushing hug that nearly took him off the ground, laughing uproariously the whole time, shouting: "Cantina man!"

Suu sighed, covering her face with a hand. Elis laughed, swatted her husband in the head and cheerfully scolded him about picking up adults. Cut staggered backward, utterly confused, when Chios dropped him. Shaeeah and Jekk burst into laughter, then began shouting greetings, turning the attention of the two elder Wroonians to the children.

Before the greetings could proceed any further, there was a sharp whistle from the center of the square, and a quiet began to fall as people stopped talking, resettling themselves. Cut sent Suu a querying look.

"It's starting," she said, edging herself closer to him, speaking lowly, nodding towards the center, where there was now a sizeable clearing. Two older Gran couples were standing in the middle, across from each other. "Ossa and Arybas's parents," Suu explained, leaning closer to Cut's ear. There was a stir in the crowd, and they were close enough to make out the figures of Ossa and Arybas, walking steadily through the clear path towards their parents, hand in hand, both decked out in cheery shades of red and orange, bits of pounded gold jewelry catching in the sunlight and sparkling. They were both beaming.

Ossa's parents, then Arybas's, began to speak in Gran, the words indistinguishable to the non-Gran in the audience. "I don't know specifically," Suu continued lowly, giving Cut a small smile when he turned to look at her, "But essentially, they are welcoming their new daughter and son into each other's families." Hugs were now being exchanged between the older couples and the new one, the two older females excitedly embracing the now rather unwieldy Ossa. Suu chuckled a little. "They are also very pleased that their Mother Goddess, Doellin, has already blessed them. It is a very good portent for the union, that they are already starting a family of their own, and adding to the community."

Cut was smiling at her. She smiled back, enjoying the closeness. If they were not in a crowd, she'd lean over the rest of the way. She could almost feel the warmth from his skin. It was quite hard to resist doing so anyway. At least until she saw Chios watching them like a proud matchmaker. Her lekku twitched in embarrassment and she turned her head away from Cut, in time to watch the two sets of parents place their children's hands together.

The crowd erupted into cheers. It was a simple ceremony. Now was the complicated part.

"I hope you are coordinated," Suu whispered to Cut, teasingly.

"Coordinated?" he asked. "What's happening?"

She grinned and took one hand, Elis grabbing the other. All around them, people were taking up the hands of the friends, families, neighbors, strangers that stood nearby. Shaeeah took Suu's free hand, and Jekk's with the other in imitation. Some people were starting to bounce up and down in anticipation of what was coming.

Then there was a drum roll, and the shouts and whistles of several men, and the entire crowd began to move. Music struck up a steady beat, strings and flutes swelling the sound behind the drums and the voices singing in Gran, male and female calling to each other and answering. "Left first," Suu warned, and Cut barely had time to grasp what was happening as their line suddenly lurched to the right.

She swung his hand and called, "Like this! Watch me or Elis." Then, as slowly as she could without interrupting the growing flow of dancers, placed her feet solidly on the ground. Left over right, right out from left, left behind right, right out, left back, again, again. Then repeat, left over right, right out from left. It was a simple combination, over and over, the speed picking up as the chains of people picked up the pace, first timers adapting to the steps and rhythm, moving more and more rapidly and smoothly as the music carried them along. The chains began to break, as some began to move out of the dance.

"Mom!" Shaeeah called, desperately trying to keep up. She was mostly going left over right, left over right, then sashaying along when her shorter legs couldn't keep up. Jekk was alternating between hopping and running. "Can we go play?" Shaeeah shouted over the music and the sound of stomping feet.

Suu released her hand, and a moment later, she and Jekk broke off, darting through the dance to join the groups gathering around the edges of the dance floor. Shaeeah's hand was replaced by a young male Gran's, who was leaping along to the music with familiarity. She turned to Cut, who was watching his feet, but keeping up pace with some ease now. He turned to her with a huge smile.

They were carried along with the dance, hand in hand, Suu's skirt swirling around her as the pace picked up again, the steps becoming filled with more and more bounce. Then Elis released Cut's hand. She waved as she and Chios faded back into the crowd.

"What do I do?" Cut shouted at her, realizing there was no one's hand there to grab.

"You lead!" Suu laughed back. "Keep your hand up, don't slow down!"

There was a moment of panic, then a kind of delighted determination suffused his face, and he pulled their chain off into a new direction, coiling it around one of the groups of elders sitting now on the sidelines, chattering. As they found themselves in the middle of the dance again, they burst into cheers, waving to familiar faces in the line.

Suu laughed, lekku flying out as they danced.

* * *

It was growing late.

Suu sent a troubled look back towards Cut, who Chios had finally cornered off alone. Suu shook her head, hoping Chios wasn't saying anything too embarrassing. Cut was red enough that it was visible even in the firelight provided by the torches. The crowd had begun to thin, and those who lived farther away had left. Those with small children were also starting to head back towards the speeders, and Suu wanted to return home as well.

Arybas and Ossa were ebullient, greeting guests and pressing food on people. Suu was still stuffed, and had just enough spice wine to feel pleasantly light, the liquid keeping her feet from hurting too much from all the dancing.

She wandered now, looking for Shaeeah or Jekk. They weren't anywhere in the clearing. She frowned, looking at the dessert table, now thoroughly eaten through. Most of the children had been hovering in this area, with easy access to the cakes. There was a scrawny teenage Wroonian boy standing there now, stuffing his face so fast she thought he would choke. He was warily watching people, and froze when Suu approached, almost dropping the slice of pie in his hands as he fumbled with it.

"Have any of the younglings been by here, recently?" she asked. "Twi'lek, in particular?"

He shook his head vehemently, then stopped, backed up a step, and pointed at the table itself. Suu puckered her lips into a thin line, then bent and lifted up the cloth draping it. Several children had curled themselves into bundles underneath, sleeping. As a distinctive pair of mottled peach-and-blue lekku came to her notice, she reached under and gave one of Shaeeah's headtails a tweak. Her daughter bolted upright, and a few other kids moaned as they were forced to shift around. Several of them had food smeared on their mouths, clothes, and hands. Shaeeah appeared clean. Jekk, when he sat up beside his sister, had a smear of pink cake smashed on his cheek. He looked a little bleary-eyed, blinking solemnly at her. "I'm sleepy," he said.

Suu smiled as they began to crawl out. "Come on. We're going home."

* * *

Cut parked the speeder, then opened the door as quietly as he could.

He reached into the back of the truck and picked up Suu's blaster rifle. Suu remained in her seat, Jekk's head in her lap. Both of the children were sleeping again, Shaeeah slumped over with her head hanging down. Cut moved swiftly between points: the door to the house, behind the house, then around the barn, checking, looking, his blaster poised and ready. When he turned away from the barn, smiling, she breathed a little easier.

He opened the front door, propped it open, looked around inside, then returned empty handed. Suu climbed out of the truck, pulling Jekk with her carefully. He mumbled something in his sleep, then his head lolled. Suu smiled and propped him up against her shoulder, shutting the speeder door with a foot. Cut was in a similar position with Shaeeah, who was hanging bonelessly in his grasp.

She kept the lights off. Cut shut the door behind them, and they climbed the stairs.

The children's room was slightly larger than Suu's room. For the time being, it was separated only by a curtain, now open. Suu placed Jekk in his bed. Cut placed Shaeeah in hers, each of them quickly tugging off shoes and placing them on the floor. Blankets were lain over them.

They crept out into the hallway, peering inside. Suu leaned against Cut, resting her cheek on his shoulder for a moment. He placed an arm around her waist, then leaned in and closed the door.

They stood in the hallway. Cut turned back towards the stairs.

Suu did not move with him. Then she placed her hand over the one he had resting on her hip, and moved in the opposite direction, tugging him with her.

She stopped after a step, to turn and look at him. He met her gaze. "Would you like to stay tonight?" she asked.

He nodded once, somberly, then began to smile.

They moved three steps down the hallway, and closed the door behind them.

* * *

Sometime later, Cut finished what he wanted to say two nights earlier.

"I love you."

Then, much to his happiness, Suu replied, "I know. I love you too." Then she kissed him.

And they slept.

* * *

I pretty much made up the entire 'Gran wedding ceremony', taking what the Wookiepedia says about Gran culture and tried to apply it. If anyone happens to have the _Punjabi Wedding Song_ from the _Bride and Prejudice_ soundtrack, that's pretty much what this chapter is set to.

Many thanks to everyone who has left such kind reviews to this story! Trina, doctor anthony, Ms. MaraJade, The Elven-Spear, darthritter86, Jadedsnowtiger and Stardust Katrina! You're all awesome! Thank you for supporting the story.

There is only one more chapter left, plus an epilogue. I hope you all enjoy!

~Queen


	11. Suu and Cut

_Homestead_

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* * *

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Chapter 11. Suu and Cut

* * *

Suu held her breath and looked at her children, sitting across the table from her.

The kids knew something serious was going on, when after dinner, everything was cleared from the table and stacked beside the sink, and Suu turned off the galactic radio, telling them they couldn't draw and to leave homework for tomorrow.

Now, Cut was sitting beside her. Both of them were waiting for a reaction. Shaeeah and Jekk looked at each other, then at the adults.

"Is that why Cut's always inside before breakfast now?" Jekk asked.

Suu tried to suppress a smile. This was a question she was ready for. It was about two weeks since the wedding. Cut was spending nights in the house now, after locking up outside. Since the children frequently went to bed before he left, they hadn't quite picked up on Cut's all night presence. They _had_ noticed that when Suu got them up in the morning, Cut was already in the kitchen making breakfast, instead of knocking on the door for entry.

"Yes, Jekk, that's why."

Jekk scrunched up his nose in contemplative disgust. "For kissing and stuff?"

Cut chuckled a little, and Suu finally allowed herself a smile. "Something like that, yes."

Jekk continued to look appalled by this. Apparently, kissing was yucky.

Shaeeah had her usual look of troublesome curiosity, looking between the two of them and biting her lip a little, as though she were trying to hold back a question and just couldn't quite manage it. She put her hands on the top of the table, fidgeting, then asked, "Does this mean Cut's going to be our daddy?" Then she snapped her mouth shut, a little wide-eyed, taking a look of deliberate innocence in case she had gone too far.

Cut stiffened a little beside her, and she forced herself not to look at him, but instead answer the question. She knew her children were bright, and it wouldn't take either of them long to turn towards future possibilities. They'd know from their neighbors and their family friends, as well as the depictions of families they saw in their children's holobooks, that two parents were more common than one. The one they were missing was a father.

"We're just dating, Shaeeah. Don't get too far ahead, alright?"

Shaeeah ducked her head a little in confirmation, but was smiling a bit and looking between them. Jekk still looked mostly grossed out by the suggestion of kissing, but he'd put his elbows on the table and had a look of not-unhappiness at his sister's words. Something inside Suu tightened a little. She wasn't surprised. They liked Cut. It would change things, expand their family. Seal her husband in his grave.

It saddened her a little, even though she was happy with Cut and the potential future he represented. He must have noticed her sudden unease, and placed a reassuring hand over hers under the table, casually, as to not draw too much attention to it. He squeezed her fingers. She squeezed back, and let the regret pass, giving Cut a warm smile. She was alright.

"Ew," said Jekk, squeezing shut his eyes. Shaeeah covered her mouth with her hands and giggled.

"Alright, you two," Suu laughed. "That's enough. Time for bed."

"Aww…"

Cut untangled his hand from hers, stood. "Come on, I'll read you two a story."

Suu turned to watch Cut herd the pair upstairs, smiling. She slid out of her chair and turned the radio back on, quietly, and began to fill the sink with hot water and detergent. Foam rose to the top of the steaming water, and she picked up a scrub brush and began cleaning, stacking the plates to the side to let them drip dry.

She was nearly done when Cut crept back down the stairs, looking like he could barely hold back laughter. "I don't think they're sleeping, but Shaeeah said it's very important for us to have quiet time." Suu laughed, and Cut stepped up behind her, wrapping his arms around her waist, and bending his head to chuckle into her neck. Suu sighed, relaxed backward, and Cut kissed her temple, raising his hands to slide them along her arms and then into the dirty dishwater. He murmured, close to her ear, "Go sit. I'll finish up."

"I didn't know you enjoyed washing dishes so much," she said lowly, turning enough to the side to give him a quick peck on the cheek. He flicked his fingers in the sink, sending up little splashes. Suu laughed as he hugged her more tightly, then took the sponge and began to wash the last of the grime off of their largest pot, Suu holding it. They fumbled around, laughing quietly at their general state of silliness.

"All clean?" Suu asked as Cut set aside the sponge, holding up the kettle to see if they'd gotten rid of all leftover, encrusted food.

"Looks that way," he replied with mock seriousness. He set the pot on the drying rack, and Suu turned around, wrapping her arms around Cut's neck.

"Thank you for your assistance," she told him sincerely.

"Oh, it was nothing," he said, with great humility. "I just love washing dishes."

"That is a most excellent quality in a man," she returned, then couldn't contain her amusement any longer and pressed her face into his shoulder to laugh. He slid his arms around her, hands resting lightly on her back. They lingered there a little, and Suu kissed his shoulder, then his neck, then his mouth. Before Cut could deepen it much, she interrupted. "I'll finish up here. Lock the barn, and I'll meet you upstairs?" she lifted a brow suggestively, lips quirking upward as she lightly teased her fingers in the long hair at the nape of his neck.

She knew they were both smiling like idiots, but didn't care at all. He looked so happy, and she felt so happy. He kissed her, hard, but briefly. "I'll be back in a few minutes," he promised, returning the suggestive look, then withdrawing to the door, closing it behind him. Suu smiled, patted her damp palms on her pants a little, distracted, then turned back to the sink to unplug the drain and let the water out, humming a little to herself. She turned off the light above the sink, then switched off the radio, checked to be sure she had turned off the stove and had the conservator closed all the way.

From outside, there was a shout, then a screech from several nunas.

Suu stood still, head lifted, turned in the direction of the door. For a moment, everything seemed to pause in motion. Then world came crashing back when there was a shout from upstairs. "Mom? What was that?" Small feet pounded on the floor, then the steps.

"Stay upstairs," she snapped, pointing a finger at Shaeeah, who was leading the way.

"But-"

Suu was flying across the room, ripping open the cabinet with their blasters. "Shaeeah, _go upstairs_, and _take care of your brother_." The words came out sharply, and in her movement, Suu was barely able to register the sudden fear on her children's faces. There was the sound of feet going back up. Then she was at the door, and kicking it open, blaster ready. Nothing in the yard. She put her back to the wall of the house, shut the door behind her.

No one in the yard. No one running from the barn. It looked solidly locked. The nuna house.

Not again. Not again. She gripped the blaster rifle tightly. She would not let this happen _again_. A minute ago they were inside the house, washing dishes. It was this way before. Her husband outside, herself inside, and not there to help. No use, too late. Everything changing in an instant. So fast. Her breath turned ragged. Not again. A pair of nuna flapped wildly, running across the yard in front of her. Not again. She edged to the corner of the house, listened to the sound of squawking nuna, and beneath it, the sound of a scuffle and someone swearing. She would not allow it to happen again. Cut would not be taken away from her. _Cut_.

She moved, quickly, rounding the corner, blaster raised to fire.

A Wroonian man was struggling with Cut, who had him in a firm lock, an arm twisted up behind him, doubling him over. His free arm flailed, trying to regain balance, which Cut kept from him every time he moved, pressing him towards the ground. Still, he kept his feet under him, wobbling, trying to squirm his way out.

Amid the frantic grappling, he looked up to find a means of escape, and found himself pinpointed at the end of a blaster.

He froze. Cut looked up and saw her. Suu only saw the man. Her fingers flexed around the trigger.

Somewhere, in the back of her mind, she realized she was shaking. She'd lost one man already. It would not happen again.

The Wroonian was staring at her, wide eyed, not daring to move.

"Suu. _Suu_!" Cut was calling her, from what seemed like very far away. "Suu, look at him. He's just a kid. Suu, put the blaster down, I've _got_ him."

Her husband, lying on the ground, lekku curled around his head and body burned from a blaster shot.

"Suu, I've _got_ him."

Then the man said, "I was hungry."

She stared at him. He dared to give her excuses? For a moment, there was only a white rage filling her vision. She struggled to clear it, and when the world righted itself, everything seemed so very sharp. She looked at the man, and saw instead a scrawny teenage Wroonian boy, half starved and terrified, filthy. His eyes were wide, the whites around his irises showing clearly. There were tears on his face, and he was staring down the barrel of her blaster.

Her breath choked for a moment, and her blood ran cold. A kid. A big kid. Not a man. No blasters. No flames. A nuna thief. A hungry little nuna thief. A hungry little nuna thief who had been stealing food off the dessert table at the wedding, and told her where her children were. She knew his face. She'd almost shot a starving kid.

She felt ill, and she wobbled a little, the muzzle of the blaster dipping to the ground.

Cut moved, dropped the boy, stepped forward, shoved the barrel of the blaster down and then removed it from Suu's hands in one smooth motion. Then he grabbed her as everything tilted.

The boy was on the ground, sprawled ungracefully. Suu balanced herself on Cut, who slipped an arm around her back to give her support. She tried not to be sick, and her stomach churned her dinner. The boy looked at her, and they were frozen, locked in place.

"You're hungry," she said, her voice very small and distant. Cut's arm tightened around her. He was there. He was there, and alive, and whole, and not on the ground covered in burns. She breathed in deeply, sharply, trying to bring herself back to calm. Adrenaline had flooded her veins when that shout went out, and now she was beginning to shake as the sudden burst of energy and fear wore off. The boy just stared at her, unmoving. She closed her eyes, breathed in again. Drifters. Men made desperate by the war. Hungry. She tried to gather her wits. "Why are you stealing food?"

His mouth opened and closed several times, and when his voice emerged, it cracked badly in the way of growing boys. "I'm hungry," he repeated, wild eyed. "Nowhere to go. I just wanted something to eat. I'm sorry. I'm really sorry."

Cut said, carefully, "I think you should leave." The boy's eyes shot to Cut, and he jerked a little in shock, but did not move. Cut repeated, with stony calm, "I think you should leave. Now."

The boy flinched, began to scramble himself to his feet.

Then, from Suu, soft at first, "Go to town." The man and the boy stared at her. She tried again, her voice coming out unevenly, then steadier. "Go to town. Look for the warehouses." She breathed in, steadying herself. "Look for Chios. Tell him Suu and Cut sent you. Tell him you're hungry and you will work like a pack eopie." Her breath shook, and she found herself trembling. She added, thickly, "And don't ever let me see you again."

The boy was on his feet. He stared between the two of them. Suu turned aside, buried her face in Cut's shoulder. She could feel his body vibrate as he spoke. "Go. Now." He made some sort of gesture with his free arm, the one that held the blaster rifle.

She heard the sound of running, frantic, skittering running, off in the direction of the front gate and the fields. Then Cut was tugging her down to the ground, and she went with him. He set the blaster aside, and pulled her against him, and she let herself be held while she shook.

Cut murmured to her, talked quietly, and she barely heard him for a time. The sound of his voice was soothing. That, and the presence of him, the solid, warm, now so familiar presence of him. Slowly, so very slowly, she relaxed. Cut's cheek was pressed against her forehead. His skin was prickly. He needed to shave.

She shuddered. "I don't want to lose you." His hand came up to her cheek, touching lightly. "I kept remembering, and I don't want to lose you."

"You won't lose me," he returned, pressing his lips to her forehead. She sighed, closed her eyes, still feeling vaguely shaky. He had a particular sound of hopeful warmth when he said, "Suu?"

She smiled a little, in spite of it all. "I know. I love you too."

He chuckled once, dryly. "Well, yes, that too, but that's not what I was going to say." She lifted her head a little, leaning back to use his shoulder as a prop for her head. He had a funny expression on his face, the same sort he had when he first tried to tell her he loved her, and she'd silenced him. Hopeful and unsure and a little awkward. "I don't know if I'm doing this at all right," he began, then halted, then started again. "So I understand if I've got it all wrong. I don't want to lose you either." He looked at her, as shy as she'd seen him in some time. "Would you marry me?"

Suu blinked once. "What?"

Cut colored darkly, and was clearly embarrassed. "I did it wrong."

Suu shook her head, trying to clear it. Cut was trying to propose to her? On the dirt outside the nuna house? After they were nearly robbed and she almost shot someone? She stared at him for a long moment. It was entirely bizarre.

"You want to marry me?"

He nodded. "Well, yes. If you'll have me."

Her brows drew together in consternation. Then she laughed. It was ridiculous. Completely and utterly weird. She laughed, and laughed hard, hard enough to double over and make Cut shift aside. "Sorry," he said, sounding more than a little pained.

"You are a very strange man, with a very strange sense of timing," she told him, then looked at the embarrassment on his face, and her laughter quieted. He was not an ordinary man. She had already accepted the complications that would come from a relationship with him. It would not be easy. But this was a good man. A kind man. A man whom she loved, and who made her happy, and terrified at the thought of his loss.

She placed her hands on either side of his head, drew him closer, and said softly, "Yes, Cut, I will marry you." Then she kissed him.

He pulled back, looked at her. A smile started on his lips, vanished, then formed again. It spread, until his entire face was alight.

There was a pair of frightened wails from inside the house. "Mom? Mom? Cut? Mom?"

Suu blanched, and they stared at each other, then towards the house and the direction of the calls. Then they scrambled to their feet. Cut stood first, pulling Suu up while she picked up the blaster. She held his hand tightly as they ran for the house and the children.

"We will have to talk to them again," Suu said.

Cut looked back at her, smiling.

* * *

Hope you've all enjoyed the tale. Also, I'm going to shamelessly plug my next fic for a moment – Cut and Suu will be making a cameo in one of the early chapters, so if anyone is interested in seeing how the family is doing in a few years, you might want to check the story out once I begin posting. The title will be _What Any of it is Worth_.

An epilogue to go. (And no, we've already had one wedding, sorry!)

~Queen


	12. Epilogue

_Homestead_

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* * *

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Epilogue.

* * *

"Mom? There's something coming!"

Suu lifted her head, then stepped out into the sunlight from the barn. She set aside the pitchfork in her hands, then shielded her eyes to see her son pointing up the road into the heart of the homestead.

Cut was away, delivering their first harvest. It had been a good year; the plants stood tall in the sunset light, shading the path leading in. It would be time to prepare supper soon.

She dropped her hand from her brow, frowning. There was a buzzing noise that grew with the approaching figures. Three of them, dark and narrow. Speeders of some kind. Her frown deepened. Why would there be so many speeders coming this way, and so quickly? "Shaeeah, Jekk, get into the house," she ordered quickly, hurrying the children inside in front of her and shutting the door firmly once within, leaning against it slightly for a moment. Shaeeah and Jekk were looking at her, expectantly.

She took a breath. She did not know what was coming, and wished Cut were here. She hoped that it would be nothing, that she was merely overreacting again. But she was alone and had two children, and had to keep them safe. "Stay inside, both of you," she said, moving towards the locker with the blasters, and taking her rifle from its peg.

"Is it bad people?" Shaeeah asked, stepping closer to her brother and putting her hands on his shoulders. Jekk fidgeted, shrugging, not very happy about his sister touching him. Shaeeah stuck her tongue out at him.

"I don't know, but I want you to stay there." Suu leaned against the door. The hum of speeder engines grew close, then stilled, quieting. She opened the door and lifted the rifle.

Three speeder bikes. Three men – no, four, one on a stretcher. All in white armor rimmed in blue. She frowned. Soldiers. Not local, not machine. One of them lifted off his helmet, and she was greeted by an entirely too familiar face. Republic soldiers. Clone troopers.

"We want no trouble here," warned, tensing. She wanted them gone. This could only be trouble. If the war had reached Saleucami, then she wanted no battle in her fields, no fighting near her children, no men seeing her husband to take him away.

"Easy with that weapon, ma'am. We're here as friends."

She did not ease the weapon, but rather focused it on the speaker. "State your business."

Another spoke up. "Our Captain's been hurt, we need –"

She cut him off, scowling. "I'm no doctor, so just –"

The first one interrupted her. "We have a medic, ma'am, we just need a place to tend him overnight." His hands were lifted, a peaceable gesture. She frowned. Cut would be back soon enough. But could she really turn them away, with an injured man? She hesitated. It seemed wrong to do so. Dangerous, but wrong. What had priority?

Her train of thought was interrupted by feet pounding up behind her, and resisted the urge to groan as Shaeeah rushed forward, fortunately stopping before leaping down the stairs. Jekk, somewhat more sensibly, stopped behind her, choosing instead to peer out from between her legs. Her lovely, inquisitive children. At least it seemed these men were only bringing in injured, and not a fight itself. "Mommy, who is it?"

"Get back inside, both of you," told them, rolling her eyes in exasperation, then looked again at the man on the speeder bike as they shuffled back inside, complaining at being left out. The face he wore was so familiar, as was the face of the man lying prone on the stretcher. If things were different, it could just as easily be Cut lying there. It was a risk. But these men were too much like her husband. She could not leave them unaided. "There are some benches, out back in the barn. It's the best I can do."

"That'll be fine, ma'am. Thank you."

She set stood her rifle up beside her, still scowling. She did not like this. The three men took their fourth, detaching the stretcher and guiding it on its repulsors towards the barn. She watched them go. 'Ma'am' he called her. Such politeness. So much like Cut, when he first came to the farm.

She closed her eyes, sighed, then entered the house. They were not so different. Cut would call them brothers. In that sense, they were some kind of extended family. She shut the door behind her, looked at Shaeeah and Jekk, who were looking at her, expectantly. "Are we going to help them, Mom?" Shaeeah asked, bouncing a little on her toes. They did not get unusual visitors very often.

Suu lifted her blaster rifle, set it back inside the locker, and closed it away. "Yes, Shaeeah. We're going to help them. Would you two get me some fruit to take out?"

The children scattered, one towards plates and the other towards the conservator. It would be best to keep them inside, away. She would have to listen for Cut.

And hope they would not take him away.


End file.
